CABINET OFFICE

Government Car Service

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether a Minister's spouse or partner may use a Government car for official engagements when not accompanied by the Minister.

Douglas Alexander: The rules on the use of an official car by a Minister's spouse or partner are set out in "Travel by Ministers".

Press Releases

David Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each (a) year and (b) quarter from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The number of press releases issued by the Cabinet Office since 1995 is as follows:
	1995—128
	1996—135
	1997—189
	1998—277
	1999—343
	2000—381
	2001—196
	2002—106
	The figures for 1999 and 2000 include press releases issued by the Year 2000 Media Co-ordination Unit, which was operating from the Cabinet Office. Most of these figures will also include press releases issued on behalf of the Privy Council Office, which have only been separately identifiable since 1 January 2002.
	Lists and copies of Cabinet Office press releases issued from 1999 are available at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk.
	Providing quarterly figures since 1995–96 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Public Appointments

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to extend the opportunities for members of the public to receive appointments to public bodies, task forces and ad hoc advisory committees.

Douglas Alexander: As Cabinet Office Minister responsible for public appointments, work is currently under way in my Department on a new website, through which people will be able to get details of current and prospective public appointment vacancies across Departments. This new website will enable people to search on the basis of topic, Government Department, location of the body etc. and will be linked through to the job specification and how to apply. The new website will be complemented by a biannual newsletter so that access to the internet is not a barrier. The website and newsletter will be available in the course of the year.
	Individual Departments are responsible for appointments to the public bodies they sponsor, and for setting up and organising the membership of specific task forces and ad hoc advisory committees.

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2000–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Details of my Department's spend on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1997–98 to 2001–02 can be found in the table. Information prior to 1997–98 is not held on the Department's accounting system and is therefore available only at disproportionate costs.
	
		£ thousand 
		
			 Year Publicity Advertising 
		
		
			 1997–98 472 144 
			 1998–99 1,634 138 
			 1999–2000 2,551 262 
			 2000–01 1,803 464 
			 2001–02 4,260 2,708 
		
	
	The estimated spend on publicity and advertising in 2002–03 is £2,106,000. This is based on actual expenditure incurred up to and including December and forecast expenditure for the remaining months of the financial year. It is not possible to separate out the publicity costs from the advertising costs without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure incurred by non-departmental public bodies sponsored by my Department are not held on our accounting system and is therefore available only at disproportionate cost.
	The increase in publicity expenditure between 1997–98 and 1999–00 is due to expenditure in connection with Year 2000 compliance awareness.
	The increase in publicity expenditure from 2000–01 to 2001–02 from £1,803 to £4,260,000 is due to expenditure of £2,670,000 incurred by the Office of the E-Envoy for the UK Online advertising campaign, offering help to people wanting to use the internet.
	The increase in advertising expenditure from 1998–99 to 2000–01 from £138,000 to £464,000 is due to expenditure on recruitment advertising for posts within the Department. These posts range from administration and junior management level through to the senior civil service. Also included is recruitment advertising expenditure for specialist placements within the Government Information and Development Centre.
	The advertising figure for 2001–02 includes £2,491,000 incurred in by the Office of the E-Envoy for the UK Online advertising campaign, offering help to people wanting to use the internet.

Sickness Absence

David Laws: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Absenteeism is defined as unauthorised absence for which pay would be stopped. The Cabinet Office (and agencies) keep records of unpaid absence generally but they also include authorised absence. Separating the records could be achieved only at disproportionate costs.
	Sick absence figures for government departments are published annually in the report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" . The most recent report for calendar year 2001 was announced by Ministerial Statement 19 December 2002. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. Figures for 2002 will be announced later this year.
	Cabinet Office figures (including its agencies and non-departmental public bodies) are
	
		
			  Days per staff year 
		
		
			 1993 7.3  
			 1994 6.3 
			 1995 7.7 
			 1996 6.4 
			 1997 6.6 
			 1998 7.3 
			 1999 6.8 
			 2000 4.6 
			 2001 5.7 
		
	
	Figures for 1990–92 are not available.
	Our target for reducing sick absence is no more than
	6.0 days per staff year by the end of 2003
	Previous targets, which were achieved, were no more than
	7.4 days per staff year in 1998
	6.4 days per staff year by 2001
	The Cabinet Office is committed to achieving its targets and has in place sick absence management procedures recommended by the 1998 report "Working Well Together—Managing Attendance in the Public Sector".

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

National Lottery

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funds unallocated to good causes has been held by each of the Lottery fund distributors in each of the past five years; what percentage of their total balance this represented in each year; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: All funds held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) are allocated to one of the Good Causes. Information regarding funds not yet committed to projects by each distributing body is only readily available in the form requested for the past three years. The figures in the following table show the position at the end of each of the last three completed financial years.
	
		£ 
		
			 Distributor NLDF balance at 16 March 2000 Uncommitted funds NLDF balance at 31 March 2001 Uncommitted fund NLDF balance 31 March 2002 Uncommitted funds  
		
		
			 Arts Council of England 282,798,703 -98,044,005 256,789,149 -16,113,171 246,267,032 531,576 
			 (0.2 per cent.) 
			 Film Council 12,798,154 12,798,154 
			 (100 per cent.) 41,761,184 9,796,283 
			 (23.5 per cent.) 67,640,454 7,774,074 
			 (11.5 per cent.) 
			 Arts Council of NI 26,969,427 9,773,570 
			 (36.2 per cent.) 30,372,890 17,292,726 
			 (56.9 per cent.) 33,555,930 15,443,320 
			 (46.0 per cent.) 
			 Scottish Arts Council 52,442,351 1,771,859 
			 (3.38 per cent.) 46,450,319 10,747,608 
			 (23.1 per cent.) 44,642,966 9,076,600 (20.3 per cent.) 
			 Scottish Screen n/a n/a 4,290,609 1,042,978 
			 (24.3 per cent.) 3,637,995 -1,306,175 
			 Arts Council of Wales 24,055,796 -7,977,347 28,108,522 -9,889,513 32,542,530 -5,296,685 
			 Community Fund 601,000,000 -26,000,000 489,771,011 -159,413,432 401,424,347 -148,132,113 
			 Heritage Lottery Fund 903,000,000 -27,200,000 935,605,679 -48,603,065 933,667,077 -125,269,349 
			 Millennium Commission 591,711,691 -148,888,309 466,483,244 91,383,244 
			 (19.6 per cent.) 386,384,792 157,384,792 
			 (40 per cent.) 
			 New Opportunities Fund 463,999,683 142,949,683 
			 (30.8 per cent.) 571,897,073 11,541,590 
			 (2.0 per cent.) 826,417,473 -55,387,421 
			 Sport England 458,717,575 -196,745,718 451,912,589 -186,232,411 382,438,490 -465,214,510 
			 Sports Council of NI 14,746,090 778,787 
			 (5.3 per cent.) 16,748,325 1,952,654 
			 (11.67 per cent.) 19,539,173 5,178,473 
			 (26.5 per cent.) 
			 Sport Scotland 75,106,991 9,919,219 
			 (13.2 per cent.) 70,326,344 32,375,718 
			 (46.0 per cent.) 72,899,224 19,599,086 
			 (26.9 per cent.) 
			 UK Sports Council 4,165,842 -19,832,014 5,433,038 -66,179,747 8,011,662 -42,902,309 
			 Sports Council of Wales 29,308,659 20,141,848 
			 (68.7 per cent.) 35,912,106 13,989,556 
			 (39.0 per cent.) 39,765,549 330,132 
			 (0.8 per cent.) 
			 Total 3,540,820,963 198,133,120 
			 (5.6 per cent.) 3,451,862,081 190,122,358 
			 (5.5 per cent.) 3,558,834,694 215,318,053 
			 (6.1 per cent.) 
		
	
	Note:
	A negative figure in the table appears where a distributing body's commitments exceed its balance. The figure in the 'Total' row for uncommitted funds is the sum of the positive amounts only. Negative figures have been treated as zero in these calculations.
	Although some distributing bodies have funds in their NLDF balances which are not yet assigned to projects, the collective allocation of the 15 bodies is more than the total NLDF balance. The total level of commitment at September 2002, the latest date for which figures are available, stood at £3.99 billion, £470 million more than the balance of the NLDF at that time.
	The question of how best to deliver Lottery money most effectively was a part of the recent consultation exercise on Lottery Distribution Policy carried out by my Department. Proposals arising from this exercise will be published later this year.

National Lottery

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the variation in expenditure relative to revenue received of the Lottery income distributing bodies; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: There are significant differences between the 15 Lottery Distributing Bodies in terms of the nature of their activities and the type and timescale of the projects that they support.
	There are therefore good reasons why different bodies will draw down funds raised for them at different rates. DCMS is working with the distributors to encourage and facilitate greater commitment of Lottery funds and the faster expenditure of committed money. This must however be consistent with the principles of good financial management and accountability.
	At 30 September 2002, the distributors collectively had made commitments, with varying degrees of firmness, totalling 3.99 billion while the amount held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF) at this time was 3.52 billion.

National Lottery

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the accountability of the Lottery Fund distributing bodies and their application processes to (a) applicants, (b) the public and (c) her Department; what assessment she has made of them; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has from time to time received representations about the accountability of the Lottery distributors and their application processes. The Accounting Officer of a Lottery distributor is accountable to both the Department's Permanent Secretary and to Parliament for the proper and prudent expenditure of funds, and distributors' activities are subject to external audit by the National Audit Office. As Lottery proceeds allocated to distributors are public money, the general principles of Government Accounting must be applied in the design and implementation of systems for the distribution of that money. Each Lottery distributing body must, under the terms of its financial directions, publish and make available guidance on how to apply for funds.

Sickness Absence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Cabinet Office publishes an annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". The most recently published figures for the calendar year 2001 were announced by Ministerial Statement on 19 December 2002, and copies placed in the Libraries of the House.
	For DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency the 2001 average working days sickness absence per staff year figures were:
	
		
			  Certified sickness Self-certification Total Staff years 
		
		
			 DCMS 3.8 2.1 5.9 420 
			 Royal Parks Agency 2.5 11.0 13.5 229 
		
	
	The 1999, 2000 and 2001 reports are available on the Cabinet Office website www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/civilservice/publications/sickness/index.htm The sickness absence figures for 2002 will be announced in due course.
	DCMS and its Agency have no recorded cases of any unauthorised absenteeism.
	The targets set for DCMS and its Agency were:
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 DCMS 7 days 6 days 
			 Royal Parks Agency 10 days 9 days 
		
	
	DCMS, its Agency and each of its non-departmental public body (NDPB) are committed to managing sickness absence effectively, and in meeting the 2003 target for reduced sickness absence as set out in the Service Delivery Agreements (SDA) and NDPB Funding Agreements.
	DCMS does not hold central absenteeism and sickness records for NDPBs. To provide this information could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Tote

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to sell the Tote (a) to a racing trust to allow it to compete commercially with all long-term profits invested in the sport and (b) to a profit-making company with interests in the gambling sector.

Richard Caborn: The Government's policy in this area is well established. The intention remains to sell the Tote to a consortium of racing interests and that is the basis we are working on. We would only consider other alternatives if that model proved to be unviable.

DEFENCE

Helicopters

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are in service with (a) 847 NAS, (b) 846 NAS and (c) 845 NAS, and what the serviceability rate is of the aircraft of each squadron.

Adam Ingram: The numbers of aircraft and overall serviceability rate for 847 NAS, 846 NAS and 845 NAS are as follows:
	
		Aircraft
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 847 Naval Air Squadron  
			 Lynx Attack Helicopter Mark 7 Six Aircraft; 100 per cent. overall serviceability rate 
			 Gazelle Attack Helicopter mark 1 Eight aircraft; 83 per cent. overall serviceability rate 
			 846 Naval Air Squadron  
			 Sea King Helicopter Mark 4 10 aircraft; 60 per cent. overall serviceability rate 
			 845 Naval Air Squadron  
			 Sea King Helicopter Mark 4 10 aircraft; 90 per cent. overall serviceability rate 
		
	
	Serviceability is defined as the number of aircraft within the Actual Operating Fleet (AOF—the actual aircraft allocated to the Operating Commander to complete the mandated task) that are fit to fly at the time of reporting expressed as a percentage of the AOF. The figures provided are accurate as of 27 January 2003.

Iraq

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British involvement in military strikes on targets in the Iraqi no-fly zones since 11 September 2001; what the cost of this involvement has been to Britain; and what (a) military and (b) civilian casualties have resulted.

Adam Ingram: Our records do not separately identify expenditure incurred in maintaining the no-fly zones, nor can they be broken down from specific dates. However, the table sets out the overall estimated additional expenditure incurred as a direct result of operations in the Gulf during financial year 2001–02 and 2002–03.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2001–02 22(1) 
			 2002–03 26(1) 
		
	
	(1) Denotes figure calculated on a resource basis.
	I will write to the hon. Member with further details concerning expenditure in 2001–02 and 2002–03.
	We are not aware of any civilian casualties resulting from responses made in self-defence by coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones since 11 September 2001. It is not possible to confirm whether military casualties have occurred.

Minimum Wage

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour, (d) to £5.00 per hour and (e) to £5.30 per hour, on the cost of salaries of departmental employees (i) in total and (ii) for each nation of the United Kingdom in the next financial year.

Lewis Moonie: Based on the net working hours of Ministry of Defence staff, increasing the minimum wage by any of the rates at (a) to (e) will have no impact on the cost of salaries for the MOD.

Rifles

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rifles have been supplied for use by (a) front-line troops and (b) support forces.

Adam Ingram: The information to distinguish between the number of rifles of all types held by front line troops and support forces is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Troops being deployed as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with the modified SA80 rifle. To date, 50,000 modified SA80 rifles have been issued to United Kingdom Armed Forces personnel.

SA-80 A2 Rifle

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops being deployed in the Gulf as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with unmodified SA-80 A2 rifles.

Adam Ingram: None. Arrangements are in place to ensure that all troops deployed on Operation Telic will be equipped with the modified SA-80 A2 rifle.

Service Personnel (Cancelled Holidays)

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation has been paid to service personnel for cancelled holidays in the past six months; and how many service personnel have been compensated.

Lewis Moonie: During the period June—December 2002, approximately 46 Service personnel claimed a total of about £1IK in refunds under the Nugatory Holiday Expenditure scheme. This scheme reimburses Service personnel for otherwise irrecoverable expenses incurred through having to cancel or curtail holidays at short notice due to unplanned and unforeseen military commitments.

Services' Protective Clothing

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) gas masks and (b) protective suits have been issued to service personnel.

Adam Ingram: All service personnel receive a personal issue of one respirator, to be retained at all times, and protective suits are made available for operational requirements. Protective suits are bulky items so whilst one suit is given as a personal issue, the others would normally be held by Quartermasters and issued as required. Thereare sufficient stocks of gas masks and protective suits to meet our contingency plans.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

EU Food Production

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in the amount of food which will be produced in the EU after the expansion of the organisation.

Margaret Beckett: Accession to the EU will promote restructuring and improved productivity in the new member states. We welcome that. But it makes the need for reform of the common agricultural policy all the more critical in order to avoid stimulating artificial and uneconomic production in both the new and the existing member states.

Sugar Production

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet British Sugar to discuss the development of new technology in sugar beet refining.

Michael Meacher: Defra maintains regular contact with British Sugar at all levels. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, (the Lord Whitty), visited the Wissington Sugar Factory as recently as 17 January.

Horticulture

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government policy towards horticulture.

Alun Michael: As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment, stated at Oral Questions on 19 December last, the Government welcome the contribution of horticulture to the UK economy. It is worth some £2 billion at the farm gate and supports substantial downstream activity in packhouses, processing and the garden industry. We will continue to work with the industry through the Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy published on 12 December, by funding research and development and through the England Rural Development Programme.

Brown Trout

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategy has been in place during the past five years to combat the effects of water acidity upon stocks of native brown trout; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government have lobbied for, and implements controls both on atmospheric emissions (to tackle the impacts at source) and on forestry practices (to help minimise the impacts). Alongside these controls we use catchment liming (if feasible and appropriate) as a method of remediation.

Sewer Flooding

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to tackle sewer flooding.

Elliot Morley: The Department has been working closely with the Office of Water Services to look at ways of tackling the serious problem of sewer flooding. The Government appreciate this can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for those affected.
	Following a consultation on flooding from sewers, Ofwat announced that they will consider proposals from sewerage undertakers for additional schemes to alleviate the most serious problems in the period up to 2005.

Fishing Fleet

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the forthcoming expansion of the European Union on the economic viability of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet.

Elliot Morley: We do not expect the forthcoming accession of new member states to affect the economic viability of the UK fishing fleet.

Flooding (Insurance)

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to use money allocated to flood defence for self-help schemes aimed at securing insurance at reasonable rates against flooding.

Elliot Morley: The Government currently have no plans to draw on flood defence budgets to award money to individual householders to install flood protection measures at their homes. Individuals are, however, encouraged to consider with their insurers whether investment in such devices will enable them to secure a reduction in their premiums. The development of standards for these devices has been supported by the Government.

Hunting

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the International Fund for Animal Welfare regarding hunting; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The International Fund for Animal welfare is one of three organisations which comprise the organisation Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals (the other two being the League Against Cruel Sports and RSPCA). I met representatives of IFAW and the other campaigning organisations on a number of occasions, particularly in connection with the public hearings held in Portcullis House in September. I was meeting the Countryside Alliance and the Middle Way Group in parallel or at the same meetings. A representative of IFAW was present at the hearings examining the evidence put by expert witnesses.

Advertising

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on advertising since its creation; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Defra was formed as a Department in June 2001.
	The Department does not maintain records of its expenditure on advertising separately. Our expenditure for publicity, which includes advertising, publications, events, shows and direct information literature mailings, in financial year 2001–02 was £6.64 million. The allocation for publicity in 2002–03 is £4.1 million.

Alternative Fuels

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been carried out on the replacement of diesel with fuels based on sunflower or rapeseed; and what plans the Government have to encourage the recycling of cooking oil as fuel for motor engines.

Michael Meacher: This Department has funded a small number of projects evaluating the environmental and socio-economic impacts of using oilseed rape for biodiesel. DEFRA does not fund research and development work on liquid biofuels which is largely covered by the programmes of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Transport. The Chancellor introduced a duty cut of 20 pence per litre for biodiesel compared to Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel in 2002. This has stimulated the recycling of used vegetable oil to produce biodiesel, which is now available to the public as a blend with fossil diesel. Over 60 filling stations are currently retailing high quality biofuels made from recovered vegetable oil.

Animal Welfare Research

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the priorities are of her Department's research into animal welfare issues; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government are committed to promoting the welfare of all animals kept by man and to eliminate cruelty. The animal welfare research portfolio is wide-ranging and has projects covering important areas concerning welfare on farm, during transport, at markets and slaughter.

Early Retirement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she expects her Department to spend on early retirement packages over the next five years; and how much her Department has spent on retirement packages since its creation.

Alun Michael: The expected costs of early retirement over the next five years are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 
		
		
			 Core DEFRA 3 7 7 — — 
			 Rural Payments Agency 12.3 16.5 1.3 1.2 1 
			 Total 15.3 23.5 8.3 1.2 1 
		
	
	Historic information on the expenditure since DEFRA was created is not
	immediately available. I will write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as possible.

Farm Incomes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the current levels of farming incomes.

Alun Michael: As reported to the House this morning, revised estimates of farm income, output and productivity of agriculture during 2002 were published today. These confirm the increase in farm incomes forecast last November, and indicate a rise of 15 per cent. (14 in real terms) compared to 2001. Details have been placed in the Library of the House.

Leadership Review

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the tests being applied to civil servants to evaluate them in the leadership review in her Department.

Alun Michael: The assessments made on participants in the Senior Managers' Development Programme will be based on DEFRA's Leadership Profile, which describes the skills and behaviour required to be an effective leader. We are awaiting detailed proposals from the consultants recently appointed to design and deliver the Programme, which will include how the assessments will be made. A copy of the Leadership Profile has been placed in the Library of the House.

Leadership Review

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cost savings she expects to make from the leadership review of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The purpose of the Senior Managers' Development Programme is to achieve a qualitative improvement in the performance of the participants and to strengthen the leadership capability of the Department. We plan to evaluate the impact of the Programme through the performance management systems within which DEFRA staff work, and through customer and staff surveys, rather than through the attainment of targeted cost savings.

Network Rail

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chief Executive of Network Rail about the environmental and health hazards posed by the deposit of litter and human excrement on railway lines; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: We have had no meetings with the Chief Executive of Network Rail regarding the environmental health hazards posed by litter and human excrement on railway lines.
	However, I understand that Network Rail continues to work closely with its maintenance contractors to ensure the lineside is clear from surplus litter, excrement and to prevent the future build-up of such material.
	The discharge onto a railway track from a sanitary convenience or sink forming part of a vehicle used for carrying passengers on a railway, where the discharge is less than 25 litres, is exempt from waste management licensing. These exemptions are specific activities and are defined in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regualtions 1994. Exemptions are prescribed so as to meet the terms set out in Article 11 of the Waste Framework Directive. Under the terms of Article 11, exemptions must ensure protection of the environment and human health.
	Since 1995 all newly-constructed trains are required to be fitted with retention tanks which obviate the need for such discharge. There is no finance available to make the alterations to pre-1995 carriages.

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: DEFRA as a Department did not exist prior to June 2001.
	The Department's centralised publicity expenditure is not recorded in the format requested. Our expenditure for publicity, which includes advertising, publications, events, shows and direct information literature mailings, in financial year 2001–02 was £6.64 million. The allocation for publicity in 2002–03 is £4.1 million.
	A breakdown of the expenditure for each agency and non-departmental body sponsored by the Department could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Sewage Treatment Works

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects conclusions to be reached following the consultation on the control of odour nuisance from sewage treatment works.

Alun Michael: I expect to be able to make a decision on the way forward in the coming months following consideration of the responses.

Sickness Absence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was for her Department, its predecessors and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The information requested in respect of absenteeism is not available, and may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Records are not yet available for the number of days lost due to sickness absence in 2002, but these will be announced in due course. Sickness absence figures for previous calendar years are published in the Cabinet Office annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service", copies of which are placed in House Libraries.
	Figures for the most recently available years for the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the former DETR are shown as an average per staff year. These are:
	
		Days
		
			  MAFF DETR 
		
		
			 1990 7.5 9.4 
			 1991 8.7 10.3 
			 1992 8.0 10.2 
			 1993 8.4 10.7 
			 1994 7.4 9.4 
			 1995 9.1 11.2 
			 1996 7.8 10.4 
			 1997 7.8 9.7 
			 1998 8.7 8.7 
			 1999 9.3 8.7 
			 2000 9 9 
			 2001 7.2 10.5 
		
	
	Figures for sickness absence in the Department's non-departmental public bodies are not held centrally, and may be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department is committed to the effective management of sickness absence, and to meeting its Service Delivery Agreement of reducing sickness absence to 6.9 days for 2003.

Staff Numbers

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need to change the staffing complement in her Department working on (a) climate change, (b) energy efficiency, (c) renewable energy and (d) radioactive waste policy.

Alun Michael: Defra is currently discussing its budget for the coming financial year, and decisions on this annual process will be taken by the end of February. No decisions have yet been taken. Public spending is constrained and it is inevitable that choices and options are aired.
	We have set out our clear objectives, in "Working for the Essentials of Life". Like other Government Departments, we continually look for efficiency and effectiveness in delivery and to ensure that taxpayers' funding is allocated to support priority areas.

Transport (Environmental Impacts)

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport with regard to environmental impacts from transport.

Michael Meacher: Ministers and officials from the Department have frequent discussions with the Department for Transport about issues which might have environmental impacts. Recent discussions have covered consultation on airports capacity in the South East, the development of policy on aviation, the 10-year Transport Plan progress report, the Government's public service agreement targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and to improve air quality, and the Multi Modal Studies.

Water Framework Directive

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the water framework directive is implemented to meet its deadlines.

Elliot Morley: The Government published detailed proposals last October in a second consultation paper.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Human Trafficking

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to address human trafficking in (a) Europe and (b) throughout the world.

Mike O'Brien: Organised immigration crime is on of the Government's highest priorities in the fight against organised and international crime. A multi-agency task force, known as 'Reflex', co-ordinates UK action against organised immigration crime. Since April 2002, 17 organised crime groups have been disrupted and a further 69 investigations are on-going. In addition to contributing to the work of the UN, OSCE, IOM and others on this issue, the UK has contributed over £600,000 in the last three years to assist partners worldwide in tackling this criminal trade.

Iraq

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have indicated that they will make a military contribution to the UN to enforce Resolution 1441, should the UN require military force.

Mike O'Brien: We are not aware that the UN has made any such request. Nor would we expect it to in advance of a Security Council decision. No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable. We hope that the Iraqi regime will choose to resolve this conflict peacefully, by complying fully with UN resolutions.

Iraq

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have been invited to join a military coalition to deal with the problem of Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: No decision has been taken to launch military action against Iraq and military action is not inevitable. We hope that the Iraqi regime will choose to resolve this conflict peacefully, by complying fully with UN resolutions.

Kosovo

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has received of (a) drug trafficking and (b) white slavery in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 29 January 2003
	Her Majesty's Government estimate that about 80 per cent. of the heroin received in the United Kingdom is trafficked through the Balkans from Afghanistan. The available information on trafficking routes suggests that a large majority of this heroin transits other Balkan and central European countries (for example, Bulgaria, over 2,000 kilograms seized in 2000) rather than Kosovo.
	We remain concerned at the trafficking of women and children through the region, including Kosovo. The United Kingdom's law enforcement agencies work closely with regional partners, including in Kosovo, to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks targeting the UK. In 2002, the Trafficking and Prostitution Investigation Unit of the UNMIK Police conducted 353 raids on premises where people trafficking was suspected of taking place. 61 premises were closed down, 234 arrests were made and 92 persons were charged with trafficking offences. 89 victims were repatriated and 1,727 people were added to a database used to help target efforts to tackle trafficking from major source countries.
	The United Kingdom has supported a number of counter-narcotics and anti-organised crime projects in the Balkans and central Europe (over £700,000 this financial year).

Kosovo

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the number of Serbs who have fled Kosovo since KFOR forces entered the province; and what his estimate is of the numbers who have returned.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 29 January 2003
	According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 159,000 Serbs have left Kosovo and, according to the United Nations Office for Returns and Communities, nearly 3,500 Serbs have chosen to return to the province since KFOR forces entered Kosovo.

Kosovo

Robert Wareing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Orthodox churches in Kosovo have been destroyed since KFOR forces have been present in the Serbian province; and what steps are being taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 29 January 2003
	Figures for the number of churches destroyed in Kosovo vary. Following extensive inquiries, UNMIK, KFOR, OSCE and UNHCR believe that 110 churches have been destroyed since KFOR entered Kosovo in June 1999.
	I told Kosovo Albanian leaders during my visits to the province that the destruction of churches and all religious sites were acts of barbarism which bring shame and dishonour to all concerned. KFOR and UNMIK continue to take action against extremists. In support of combating extremism, UNMIK also conduct programmes promoting multi-ethnicity.

Pakistan

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk to the security of the UK posed by terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.

David Blunkett: I have been asked to reply.
	Advice on any terrorist threat to the UK is the responsibility of the Security Service. Strategic assessments about terrorist threats to the UK are provided to the Government by the Joint Intelligence Committee. All threats are a matter that the Government continue to take seriously and are kept under constant review.

Roma People

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Governments of (a) the Czech Republic, (b) Hungary, (c) Romania and (d) Slovakia, on the living standards of their Roma citizens.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 28 January 2003
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met the Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania in 2002. He raised the question of Roma minorities with all three. He also plans to meet the Slovak Foreign Minister in February 2003. The UK's programmes of pre-accession support for candidate countries puts a high priority on improving the quality of life of Roma minorities.
	All four states have been found to meet the Copenhagen criteria, which require a state to uphold the basic human rights of all its citizens.

Saudi Arabia

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken to secure the release of the detainees: Sandy Mitchell, Les Walker, James Lee and James Cottel, arrested in Saudi Arabia.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, and ministerial colleagues have raised the cases of the British men detained in Saudi Arabia at the highest levels with the Saudi authorities. We remain deeply concerned about these cases. The men's welfare is a key concern. We continue to work to resolve the cases. We are in close contact with the Saudi authorities and the men's lawyers. We also continue to make consular visits to the men.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 14–15W, on Afghanistan, what consideration has been given to the use of security forces to assist in the dispersal of humanitarian aid; and what steps are being taken to address the security situation in Zabul province.

Clare Short: Since my last answer of 20 January 2003, the UN in Kabul have spoken to the Governor of Zabul province and have agreed improvements in security for those aid agencies operating in Zabul. Most of the hijacked cars, together with the equipment on board, have also been recovered.
	It is not the primary role of the security forces in Afghanistan to assist with the distribution of humanitarian aid, although they have been involved in a limited number of successful small projects in and around Kabul. The main purpose of security forces is to improve the security conditions to allow humanitarian and development organisations to provide assistance themselves.
	New joint civil-military provincial reconstruction teams are being deployed over the next few months to help provide greater security outside Kabul.

Africa

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the New Partnership for African Development and (b) the Africa Union in promoting democracy in Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) commits African leaders to the promotion of good governance, human rights and democracy. It is a new process and obviously cannot overnight correct all governance problems in Africa such as those in Zimbabwe. The African Union has to reflect the views of all African states. It has traditionally been reluctant to comment on the internal affairs of a member state, although there are encouraging indications that this attitude is changing. The UK government continues to work with African governments and regional initiatives and institutions to promote good governance, human rights and democracy. We should not of course punish all of Africa for the situation in Zimbabwe.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made with collection of data on the state of health in Angola.

Clare Short: The need for more effective information management systems in the health and education systems in Angola, including improved collection and analysis of data, has been identified as a key issue for future progress in the 2002 UN Common Country Assessment. This need is likely to be highlighted in the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, on which the Government are presently working, which will provide the framework for future donor support to Angola.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of people in Angola are suffering from (a) HIV/Aids and (b) malaria; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: According to the UNAIDS office in Angola, very few accurate statistics are available on HIV/AIDS outside the capital Luanda, where HIV infection rose sharply from 3.4 per cent. in 1999 to 8.6 per cent. in 2001. Overall, it is estimated that over 520,000 adults in Angola (out of an adult population of just over six million) were living with HIV in 2001. With regard to malaria, the UNDP Human Development Report 2002 states that there were 8,796 cases per 100,000 in 2000.
	The Government of Angola is currently drafting an Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP) which includes an assessment of the country's health needs. This will state how donors can support work on HIV/AIDS and malaria. My Department will consider the implications for our development support to Angola, once the I-PRSP strategy becomes available.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking in the development of local government in Angola; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: Local government in Angola is relatively weak due to a lack of consistent funding from the centre and because it is appointed rather than elected. This has created a distance between local government and Angola's citizens.
	My Department has been providing some £7.5 million of support to the Luanda Urban Poverty Programme (LUPP). One of the main objectives of the programme is to build local government capacity so that it can provide improved services to the communities for which it is responsible. Using participatory methods, the programme is assisting local government to work in partnership with community associations to achieve tangible outcomes such as clean water, sanitation and waste disposal. This process will contribute to strengthening local democracy as government and communities learn to work together. We are presently considering a second phase of support to LUPP.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of children in Angola are being educated to primary school standard; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: UNICEF has estimated that 51.2 per cent. of Angolan children attended primary school in 2001. However, the 2003 UN Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal (CAP) estimates that at least 80 per cent. of all Angolan children do not have access to adequate education and more than one million children are outside the formal school system. In newly accessible areas, seven out of ten children do not attend school.
	Primary education is only one of several key tasks that confront the Government of Angola. The Ministry of Education recognises the need to address this situation and has set itself a target of achieving two thirds enrolment by 2005.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to retrain former military personnel in Angola.

Clare Short: The proposed Angolan demobilisation and reintegration programme is currently being negotiated between the Government of Angola and the World bank. The programme will include sub-projects to provide ex-combatants with a wide range of educational opportunities from basic literacy to apprenticeships and professional qualifications. Agricultural extension services and support for the self-employed and micro enterprise are also envisaged.
	Over 5,000 ex-UNITA fighters are being integrated into the Angolan armed forces, as part of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process in Angola. They are receiving up to three months training depending on their rank and existing skills.

Angola

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action is being taken to ensure that revenue raised from the exploitation of natural resources in Angola is used for the development of the country.

Clare Short: Since the end of the civil war, we and other donors have been impressing on the Government of Angola the need for transparency over the collection and allocation of resources, and the need to increase levels of spending in the social sectors and for national reconstruction. Last year, the United Nations, in partnership with the Angolan Government, carried out an assessment of public financing of the social sectors in Angola. The objective of the study was to make practical recommendations regarding the distribution of resources and budget management mechanisms. More recently, my Department has provided consultancy support toward the preparation of Angola's Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), specifically in clarifying details of the Government budget including a breakdown of revenues.

Child Soldiers

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) European, (b) British and (c) UN regulations prohibit the use of child soldiers in military forces.

Clare Short: International humanitarian law, as embodied in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, prohibits the recruitment or use of children under 15 in armed conflict and provides for the protection of children, particularly those separated from their families. The Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which the UK is a state party and which has been incorporated into national law, makes the recruitment and/or use of children under 15 a war crime.
	The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, now enshrined in the Human Rights Act 1998, forbids the use of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment which may include the forcing of children to take part in hostilities.
	The UK is a Party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which makes particular provision for the protection of all children under 18 years. It prescribes that the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration, severely restricts the circumstances in which children may be removed from their parents and protects children against arbitrary interference with their privacy and liberty. This Convention, along with International Labour Organisation Convention 182 (which the UK has ratified), prohibits the use of children in the worst forms of labour; and Convention 182 specifically prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
	The UK expects to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict later this year. This provides that states parties must take all feasible measures to ensure that members of their armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities, and that children under 18 years are not compulsorily recruited into their armed forces. Non-state actors, such as insurgent groups, are prohibited from ever recruiting or using in hostilities children under 18. We take the Protocol seriously. That is why before we ratify, we need to be clear that the detailed procedures and administrative guidelines for the armed forces are finalised. These will give concrete form to our commitment. MOD officials, in consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are in the final stages of drafting an Explanatory Memorandum which will explain the steps being taken to meet that commitment. As part of the ratification process, we will lay the Explanatory Memorandum (EM) before Parliament. This does not require any changes to UK legislation.
	The UK has many laws that prohibit the activities usually associated with the use of child soldiers, such as assault, forcing a child to perform illegal acts, deprivation of their liberty and making children take harmful drugs and alcohol.

Child Soldiers

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) discussions she has held and (b) action she has taken jointly with her counterparts in other countries to combat (i) the use of children as soldiers in conflicts and (ii) their recruitment into the armed forces of (A) governments, (B) paramilitary groups, (C) civil militia and (D) non-state armed groups.

Clare Short: The most effective way of tackling the use of child soldiers is to prevent, reduce and resolve armed conflicts. This is part of the wider issue of the impact of armed conflict on children generally, their families and communities. In addressing this, my Department is working with other UK Government Departments and other governments through appropriate regional mechanisms, the non-governmental community and the multilateral system to this end. UNICEF, with the support of my Department and other governments, works to effect the disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation of child soldiers, particularly back into the community and prevent their re-recruitment. Through a multi-year capacity building programme supported by my Department, UNICEF are collecting data on the situation of children affected by armed conflict globally, to better inform policy, guidance and programming on the wide range of issues involved.
	My Department has also been supporting the work of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, whose work (primarily of advocacy and raising awareness of the issues at all levels) features prominently in the Secretary-General's report of 26 November 2002 to the Security Council on this issue.
	Through its representation on the Security Council, the Government have been closely involved in the passing of eight resolutions since August 1999 addressing the issue of child soldiers and other children affected by armed conflict, and are currently involved in negotiations for a further resolution to strengthen the ability of the international community to take action to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. Along with the vast majority of other states, the Government have also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and is taking steps to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention preventing the use of children in armed conflict.

Europe Development Council

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the abolition of the Europe Development Council.

Clare Short: I was not in favour of the abolition of the Development Council, which had been useful in promoting reforms of EC development co-operation, in adopting a more coherent development policy framework and in pressing the case for an increase in the poverty focus of EC aid. The June 2002 Seville European Council decided to streamline the functioning of the Council in the run-up to enlargement and reduced Council groupings from 16 to 9 and thus abolished the development Council. There are opportunities with the new General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) for more discussions on development at monthly meetings.
	I have been working to maintain a strategic approach to development issues as established by the Development Council. In particular, I have been pushing for at least two strategic GAERC meetings per year focusing on development—one forward looking and one to assess progress. I will continue to press hard to ensure development is given due weight in the new configuration and will seek to ensure appropriate UK ministerial attendance to debate development issues.

Grants

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the grants funded by her Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if she will make a statement as to (a) the total of such funding in the last financial year, (b) the total number of awards and (c) their administrative costs.

Clare Short: The numbers and values of grants made in FY 2001–02 by the various DFID funds open to members of the public and organisations in UK are listed as follows. Information on the administrative costs of these funds is not held centrally and could not be gathered without incurring disproportionate cost. The number and value of grants refers to new grants made in the period.
	
		
			 Fund Number of grants Value (£ million) 
		
		
			 Civil Society Challenge Fund 62 30.2 
			 Renewable Natural Resources Knowledge Strategy 43 22.6 
			 Engineering Knowledge and Research Programme 54 13.4 
			 Business Linkages Challenge Fund 9 13.3 
			 Social Science Research 42 8.1 
			 Financial Deepening Challenge Fund 7 6.0 
			 Development Awareness Fund 38 5.5 
			 Education Research Programme 46 1.9 
			 Asia Regional Poverty Fund 22 1.9 
			 Tourism Challenge Fund 6 1.3 
			 Enterprise Development Innovation Fund 6 1.0 
			 Total 335 105.2 
		
	
	In addition, the UK Small Grants Scheme allows UK Heads of Mission to provide funding for small-scale development projects in the countries where they work—up to a value of £100,000 per year. As responsibility for their administration is delegated to Heads of Mission, data on the number and value of new grants made in FY 2001–02 are not held centrally and could not be collected without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Total expenditure through UK non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in FY 2001–02 was £190.5 million. This included Partnership Programme Agreements with 11 NGOs, which provided funding in support of jointly agreed strategic programmes with NGOs with proven experience and impact, and contracts with NGOs to carry out specific development projects and humanitarian interventions on DFID's behalf.

HIV/AIDS

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to ensure child participation in the development of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS is in line with the recent UNICEF report; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: Over half of all new HIV/AIDS infections are in young people (15–24 age group). We believe, therefore, that HIV prevention programmes must give a high priority to informing young people about the risk of HIV/AIDS, and that young people are encouraged to participate in the development of programmes to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. We support young people's HIV/AIDS prevention through our bilateral programmes and in partnership with UNICEF.
	In South Africa, for example, young people have been actively engaged in the review and monitoring of our adolescent sexual health programmes. In Mozambique we have committed £2.6 million over five years to support UNICEF's HIV/AIDS programme for young people. In China, we are currently developing an HIV/AIDS prevention and care programme that includes young people in a range of design activities. In Kenya, we have supported various focus group discussions with young people and trained peer HIV/AIDS educators.

Maternal Mortality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the main causes of maternal mortality in developing countries.

Clare Short: 99 per cent. of the 510,000 maternal deaths and most of the widespread disability caused by complications in childbirth worldwide are in developing countries. Up to 80 per cent. of these deaths result from five relatively common obstetric complications: haemorrhage, infection, complications of abortion, eclampsia and obstructed labour. Almost all of these deaths could be avoided by timely, effective interventions by skilled attendants at delivery, backed up by a functioning referral system and access to emergency obstetric care. This requires effective care and functioning health systems. To this end my Department have committed over £1 billion since 1997 to health systems strengthening. We are also working to improve access to quality reproductive and sexual health services in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Mozambique

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 313W, on Mozambique, what the response has been to the Mozambiquan Government's request for help from UN agencies; and what the nature has been of her Department's support.

Clare Short: The World Food Programme (WFP) has responded to the Government's request for assistance by implementing a food distribution programme focusing on six provinces and 38 districts considered worst affected by the drought. Between July and December WFP distributed some 14,301 metric tonnes of food aid. As the operation gradually expanded over the six-month period, WFP's beneficiary caseload gradually increased. In December food rations were distributed to 247,130 people.
	The programme is carried out through implementing partners representing a mix of international and national non-governmental organisations, and the Mozambique Red Cross. In 11 areas of operation the programme is implemented directly through local authorities. Implementing partners help to identify vulnerable households eligible to receive food aid, and organise physical distribution of food at the community level. The main focus of the programme to date has been on implementing food-for-work schemes. Given that Mozambique is now entering the hungry period, a programme shift, with greater emphasis on meeting the needs of vulnerable people who cannot work is planned.
	UNICEF has extended its regular country programme to include the implementation of drought response projects in areas that are considered to be particularly vulnerable. With support from DFID (£973, 000), UNICEF is implementing a blanket supplementary feeding programme for children aged 6–59 months and for pregnant and lactating mothers. The project will focus on the six provinces considered most vulnerable and aims to reach 141,000 children and 71,000 women. The programme also includes follow-up treatment and care for severely malnourished children through support to the existing therapeutic feeding centre network. UNICEF will implement activities through a network of partners comprising local and international NGOs and the Mozambique Red Cross.
	In addition, UNICEF has also responded to the Government's request for assistance by supporting the creation of thirty sentinel sites for nutritional surveillance in order to measure acute malnutrition trends. This programme focuses on three drought-affected provinces. Planning work is under way to expand the programme and increase geographical coverage of the sites. UNICEF has also been working on strengthening epidemiological preparedness and providing additional support to measles vaccination campaigns. Furthermore, UNICEF has increased its focus on the provision of clean water at health centres in the districts worst affected by the drought. UNICEF is also pre-positioning school kits as an incentive for children to attend school, given indications that both the drought and the HIV/AIDS pandemic is resulting in increased drop-out rates.
	DFID has provided £1 million for a cash for work programme, providing an income source in the short term and increasing access to markets in the longer term. DFID is providing £973,000 in support of UNICEF's supplementary feeding programme. DFID is looking at providing up to £500,000 to support agricultural input fairs given poor crop forecasts in many areas of southern Mozambique.

Mugabe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the French Government regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b) other Zimbabwean Government officials.

Clare Short: holding answer 29 January 2003
	I have not discussed the renewal of the EU travel ban with the French Government. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has had regular discussions with his French and other counterparts on this issue, including at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels on 27 January. I have discussed the urgent humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe with the French and other Development Ministers, and reiterated the importance for the Zimbabwean people, especially the poor, of reversing the disastrous policies of the present Zimbabwean government.

Mugabe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the Foreign Office regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b) other Zimbabwean Government officials;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Foreign Office regarding the attendance of President Mugabe at a Franco-African Summit in February.

Clare Short: holding answer 29 January 2003
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and I have not discussed the renewal of the EU travel ban on Robert Mugabe and other Zimbabwean Government officials nor the Franco-African Summit. We have regular and extensive discussions on the urgent humanitarian needs in Zimbabwe and the importance for the Zimbabwean people, especially the poor, of reversing the disastrous policies of the present Zimbabwean government.

Sickness Absence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: We are unable to provide details of rates of staff absenteeism as unauthorised absence is recorded as unpaid leave along with properly authorised absence (such as additional maternity leave or career breaks) and cannot be disaggregated.
	My Department will announce the rates of sick absence recorded in 2002 in due course. The rates of sick absence recorded in DFID per calendar year from 1997 to 2001 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number of absences Average number of days per staff year 
		
		
			 1997 9,250 8.1 
			 1998 8,643 7.3 
			 1999 9,263 7.3 
			 2000 8,426 6.2 
			 2001 11,545 8.3 
		
	
	Staff numbers on which these are based have risen from 1,142 in 1997 to 1,391 in 2001.
	Figures on rates of sick absence before 1997 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	DFID is working towards reducing its sickness absence rate.

Sierra Leone

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken in response to the UN Secretary General's report to the Security Council on the UN mission in Sierra Leone, with particular reference to the transfer of responsibilities to the Government of Sierra Leone.

Clare Short: We are playing a key role in assisting the Government of Sierra Leone to prepare for the withdrawal of UNAMSIL. Through joint action between my Department, the Ministry of Defence and the FCO, and using funds from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, the UK is leading the international military assistance training team; we are providing technical assistance for capacity-building in the Ministry of Defence, including the working relationship between civilian and military staff; we have funded the renovation and equipping of a new headquarters for the Ministry of Defence; and we are providing technical assistance to help the Office of National Security to operate effective, non-political, intelligence services. We are also providing a major programme to support the reform and strengthening of the Sierra Leone police.
	The Secretary-General has emphasised that the timing and phasing of UNAMSIL drawdown will be carried out with close regard to the rate of development
	of the capacity of the Sierra Leone security sector. We are closely in touch with the UN on this issue.

Uganda

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of reports by UNICEF of the number of children unaccounted for in Northern Uganda.

Clare Short: The LRA have for many years made a practice of making children a main target of their war. Until security improves in northern Uganda, however, UNICEF will not be able to collect precise data on the number of unaccounted children. Renewed LRA activity last year led to a dramatic increase, and it is estimated that 4,500 children were abducted in 2002 (compared to 100 in 2001). It is unclear how many of these children have returned home and how many are still being held by the LRA inside Uganda or Sudan. Unfortunately, many of these children will have been killed. DFID is supporting Save the Children's efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate those fortunate enough to escape, and will continue to do so as long as it is required.

Uganda

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Northern Uganda; and if she will make a statement.

Clare Short: The circumstances faced by people in Northern Uganda are of grave concern. Humanitarian consequences of the continuing conflict are high, with an estimated 600,000 internally displaced persons and declining levels of food security due to disruption of harvesting and planting seasons. DFID has made available £1.6 million for food supplies to be distributed by the World Food Programme. The total support from the UK government for humanitarian needs in northern Uganda is £2.5 million this financial year.

Uganda

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what discussions she had with President Museveni on her recent trip to Uganda concerning Northern Uganda;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on (a) the nature of her recent trip to Uganda, (b) who she met; and what discussions she had.

Clare Short: I met with President Museveni briefly on transit through Uganda. We discussed his request for increased military spending focused on the need to defeat the Lords Resistance Army. I fully support the need to end the suffering inflicted by the Lords Resistance Army, however our assessment is that this objective does not justify all the additional defence expenditure. In response to the Government of Uganda's breaching of the agreed process for government resource allocations and the consequent increase of defence spending, the UK is to withhold £5 million of its general budget support this financial year.

Uganda

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with President Museveni concerning possible peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army.

Clare Short: I am in close contact with President Museveni on the possible responses to the conflict in northern Uganda. This was one of the subjects of our meeting last week at Entebbe airport. The levels of violence perpetrated by the Lord's Resistance Army are terrible, and I support the efforts of the Ugandan government to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The complex nature of the conflict means that dialogue is crucial if a sustainable end to the suffering faced by the Acholi people is to be realised. I have been encouraged by the passing of the Amnesty Act, the appointment of the Government Peace team and the work of the Acholi religious leaders as offering real potential for dialogue.

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Government of South Africa regarding food imports to Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: My Department has regular discussions with South African officials on the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe. We have also been monitoring the progress of negotiations between the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of South Africa. WFP is at an advanced stage of negotiation with the Government of South Africa regarding a gift of £100,000 metric tons of maize from South Africa to countries in the region suffering food shortages. The amount for distribution to individual countries is still to be determined, but WFP would wish to distribute over 50 per cent. of the total to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she is having with the Government of South Africa regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 317W).

Zimbabwe

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her latest assessment is of the number of people facing food shortages in Zimbabwe.

Clare Short: holding answer 29 January 2003
	The SADC Vulnerability Assessment Committee report of December 2002 estimated that the total number of people in need of food assistance in Zimbabwe had risen to 7.2 million. Of these, the World Food Programme (WFP) aims to reach 5.8 million. Other humanitarian assistance is provided through the Government of Zimbabwe, and bilateral support direct to non-governmental organisations in addition to donor help through the WFP. The UK bilateral programme alone is reaching 1.5 million people; 1 million of these are children receiving supplementary feeling in schools, with the remainder comprising particularly vulnerable adults (for example people in the district of Binga), pregnant women, and the elderly.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Expenditure (Newsprint)

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor General what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 16 January 2003
	The Departments for which I hold ministerial responsibility account for expenditure on these items differently. In particular, accounting for periodicals in Treasury Solicitor's Department include subscriptions to legal journals and updates on loose-leaf specialist legal publications.
	The expenditure of my own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, for the financial year 2001–02 was £3,335.30.
	The total expenditure for the Crown Prosecution Service on newspapers, magazines and periodicals from January to December 2002 was £148,582.
	The expenditure by the Serious Fraud Office for the financial year 2001–02 was £10,143.85.
	The expenditure by the Treasury Solicitor's Department for the period April to December 2002 was £2,200 on newspapers and magazines and £112,175 on subscriptions—making a total of £114,375.
	HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate for the same period was £3,350. This was on periodicals and professional journals; there was no expenditure on newspapers.

Eurobank

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department during and arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: None. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

R v. McKay

Andrew Turner: To ask the Solicitor-General when she will provide a substantive reply to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning R v. McKay.

Harriet Harman: The Attorney General provided a substantive reply to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning R v. McKay, on 29 January 2003.

Theft/Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Solicitor-General what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 13 January 2003
	The figures for the Departments for which I hold ministerial responsibility account are as follows:
	The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers—nil;
	HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate—£516;
	Treasury Solicitor's Department—nil;
	Crown Prosecution Service—£3,217; and
	Serious Fraud Office—£85.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Agency Workers Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts concerning the agency workers directive; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the proposed legislation in its present form.

Alan Johnson: The proposed directive was recently discussed in the European Union Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 3 December 2002, where I represented the United Kingdom. The Department of Trade and Industry has published an explanatory memorandum about the European Commission's revised proposal which sets out the Government's policy on the proposed directive. I have placed a copy of this in the Libraries of the House.

Alenia Marconi Systems

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export control licence applications were received from Alenia Marconi Systems in the last five years; and what was the outcome of each of these applications.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 27 January 2003
	Details of all relevant export licences issued and refused since 2 May 1997 are published by destination in the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are placed in the Libraries of the House.

Call Centre Scripts

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes), of 16 January, Official Report, column 806, if she will list the call centre scripts that she has gone through.

Patricia Hewitt: The Minister of State for E-Commerce and Competitiveness and I have seen the original DWP and Inland Revenue call centre scripts.

Construction Industry

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about the practice of retentions in the construction industry; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The hon. Member may be aware that the Trade and Industry Select Committee has recently published the findings of its inquiry into the use of retentions in the construction industry.
	I welcome these and I am pleased that the committee has broadly supported the Government's approach to improving UK construction performance through "Rethinking Construction" and "Accelerating Change". Issues of fair payment and quality, defect-free work are fundamental to the continued success of the UK construction industry.
	The Department of Trade and Industry intends to respond to the Select Committee's recommendations on behalf of the Government by Tuesday 4 February. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the Select Committee's recommendations before the Committee has had the opportunity to consider my response.

Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals there are to extend anti-discrimination law to cover discrimination in employment and training on grounds of sexual orientation.

Alan Johnson: The Government are committed to introduce new legislation (implementing the Article 13 Employment Directive) to outlaw unfair discrimination at work and in training on grounds of sexual orientation by December 2003.
	Our plans were published on 23 October 2002 in the consultation document 'Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead'. Consultation ended on 24 January. We will consider responses before laying regulations before Parliament later in the year.

Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 to allow unmarried partners to leave their pensions to their surviving partner of either sex when they die.

Alan Johnson: We consulted on proposals to implement the employment directive in the document 'Equality and Diversity: The Way Ahead'. In our view, rules which restrict benefits to opposite sex partners—whether or not they are married to the pension holder—are likely to constitute unlawful discrimination.
	Because the directive is 'without prejudice to national laws on marital status and the benefits dependent thereon' however, we proposed that benefits aimed exclusively at married couples would continue to be allowable.
	The consultation ended on 24 January. We will consider responses before laying the regulations before Parliament later in the year.

Job Sharing

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: Currently in DTI, there are around 28 job shares, including three job shares at senior civil service level; two people work school term times only and the staff survey shows that 78 per cent. of staff state that their managers allow working patterns to help them balance work and home life.
	The Department launched a new flexible working policy including guidance for managers and staff in April 2002, to ensure that new ways of working are available to all individuals and the benefits to stakeholders, customers, managers and staff are fully maximised. Emerging results reflect great success with an increase in take up of flexible patterns, including compressed hours. Further evaluation will be carried out in April this year. In February this year, we will be launching a more comprehensive toolkit for managers and staff to provide on-going support and advice.

North Sea Oil

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the (a) size and (b) lifespan of the North Sea oil reserves.

Brian Wilson: The Department publishes annually estimates of oil reserves on the UK Continental Shelf. The latest estimates are that, as at the end of 2001, remaining proven and probable discovered recoverable reserves amounted to 955 million tonnes. A further 475 million tonnes are classified as possible reserves. It is also estimated that, as of that date, additional reserves of between 205 and 1,930 million tonnes existed in fields that had not yet been discovered. How long these reserves will last will depend on whether the additional and possible reserves are brought into production and the rate at which they are extracted, but production is expected to continue beyond 2020.

Nurse Co-ordinators

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance will be given to the proposed nurse co-ordinators on seeking consent from potential embryo donors under the new MRC initiative.

Patricia Hewitt: The regulatory agencies have agreed that there should be standard donor information and consent forms for the donation of embryos. These have been developed by a committee comprising the Medical Research Council (MRC), Department of Health, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and Medicines Control Agency and chaired by Professor Richardson (a lawyer and member of the MRC Council). The documentation is being reviewed by the MRC Stem Cell Steering Committee, chaired by Lord Patel. It will then be reviewed by HFEA committees, and once the final draft has been approved, it will be piloted in a selection of IVF clinics. It will then be finalised and distributed to all IVF clinics.

Post Office Closures

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices have closed in Hull and the East Riding since 1 May 1997.

Stephen Timms: I am informed by Post Office Ltd. that historic data on the post office network are not available in the form requested as the company does not require these data for operational reasons. I further understand from the company that it compiled a list of post offices by parliamentary constituency as of 20 April 2002, showing their classification as urban or rural offices. A copy of this list is held in the Libraries of the House.

Postage Costs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on recent consultations by Postcomm of a possible rise in the cost of postage.

Stephen Timms: Postcomm is responsible for setting the price control for Royal Mail services. It issued a consultation on the future price control on 3 October 2002. My Department responded with a written submission, now publicly available on the Postcomm website, so that Postcomm could, in reaching a decision, take into account the context and rationale for the commercially based financial package for Royal Mail, the details of which I announced to the House on 16 January 2003. Postcomm has not yet announced its final decision.

Renewable Energy Exporters

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been received by potential renewable energy exporters for the £50 million in ECGD cover to be available from April 2003; and what extra resources have been allocated within the DTI to encourage applications from the renewable energy sector in the UK.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 29 January 2003
	ECGD has received three applications and one preliminary inquiry for renewable energy projects that could qualify for support under the renewable energy initiative. Contracts for these projects have still to be agreed, and no guarantees have yet been issued.
	The DTI's Renewables UK team, with two Renewable Energy Trade Promoters, are now encouraging applications from the UK renewable energy sector as part of their on-going trade promotion activities.

Renewable Energy Exporters

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the £50 million of ECGD cover to be allocated to renewable energy exporters from April 2003 will be available to exporters of energy from waste technology to the developing world, including municipal mass burn incineration.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 29 January 2003
	Waste to power projects are generally considered to be a source of renewable energy. Such projects will be eligible for support, provided all other environmental impacts, such as air emissions and impacts on local populations etc, are acceptable.

UK Economy

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Nigel Griffiths) to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink), of 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 809, by which method the Department determines that the United Kingdom is the fastest growing economy in the world.

Patricia Hewitt: The best measures of economic activity is GDP. In 2001, the latest year for which data are available, the UK economy grew by 2.0 per cent. This growth rate was higher than that for the other major economies (G7 countries), according to the latest data published by the OECD.

TRANSPORT

Jones Act

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) UK and (b) EU shipping of the United States Jones Act]

David Jamieson: The US Merchant Marine Act of 1920, otherwise known as the "Jones Act", restricts the carriage of sea borne cargo between ports in the United States to vessels constructed and registered in the United States, owned by a United States citizen and manned by United States seafarers. The Act has the effect of denying the opportunity to foreign shipping, including ships registered in the UK and other EU Member States, to compete for coastal trade in the United States. It also affects adversely the ability of foreign shipping companies to move their international cargoes and empty containers more efficiently between US ports using their own vessels on existing international services.

A14

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study will be entered into the trunk road targeted programme of improvements;
	(2)  whether the funding required for the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study has been reserved within the 10-Year Plan; [94564] s
	(3)  what stage the preparatory work on the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study has reached; and when the preparatory work is expected to be completed;
	(4)  for what reasons a timetable to carry out the major A14 improvements was not included in the Department for Transport, "Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report" of December 2002.

David Jamieson: Preparatory work on the major improvements to the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge, which came out of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study, are at an advanced stage. The Secretary of State will shortly be receiving the Highways Agency's recommendations after which he will announce his decision. Sufficient funds are available from those set aside for strategic roads in the Government's 10-Year Plan for Transport to pay for this scheme.
	A timetable for this scheme was not included in our progress report on the 10-Year Plan entitled "Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report" published in December as it has yet to be added to the TPI. Such information will be made available when the Secretary of State announces his decision.

External Consultants

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on external consultants since its creation; what percentage this sum represents of (a) his Department's total expenditure and (b) the cost of running the Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 28 January 2003
	My Department came into being in May 2002. Expenditure on external consultants by my Department up to the end of December 2002 was £93.1 million. This represents 1 per cent. of my departmental expenditure limit. Of this £93.1 million, £1.7 million relates to the cost of running my Department and this represents 0.4 per cent. of my Department's administration costs limit.

London Underground PPP

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the (a) Tube Lines and (b) Metronet consortia have spent on bid costs as part of their PPP bids for London Underground projects.

David Jamieson: The total costs of all of the bidders, successful and unsuccessful, are estimated to be around £270 million. As my reply of 13 January 2003 Official Report, column 398 W to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) explained, the PPP amounts to modernisation of the entire underground network over the next 30-years. The level of bid costs reflects this and also the lengthy duration of the bidding process, which commenced in October 1999. Nonetheless, the level of bid costs represents only an extremely small proportion of the value of investment that will be delivered over the life of the contracts.

Motorway Tolls

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the introduction of motorway tolls, other than on the M6, on (a) reduction of congestion and (b) encouragement of use of public transport.

David Jamieson: holding answer 23 January 2003: The 'Background Analysis' published in July 2000 as part of the Ten Year Plan For Transport contained an illustrative scenario for charges on the trunk road network by 2010 at times and places where congestion was highest. That indicated an overall reduction of 9 per cent. in congestion compared with levels in 2000, though with variations between areas, including increases of congestion in some places. The effect on public transport was not calculated.
	The Government's report on 'Modernising the Taxation of the Haulage Industry: Progress Report One' published in April 2002 reported analysis of a distance-based lorry road-user charge applying only to motorways, which suggested a reduction of lorry traffic of 25 per cent. on motorways but increases in congestion elsewhere.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Network Rail has lost since its establishment.

John Spellar: As with any other private company, Network Rail will publish accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Acts. These will show the profit or loss for the relevant reporting period.

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2002–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: For details of how much my department has spent on publicity and advertising in each year since 1995/96 to 2002/03,1 refer the hon. Member to replies to the hon.Members for:-
	1. Isle Of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 21March 2002, Official Report, column 484 W which gives annual expenditure from 1997/98 to 2001/02,
	2. Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 28 February 2002 Official Report, column 1516–1517W, which requested details of publicity and advertising campaigns and
	3. Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 9 November 2001 Official Report, column 453–454W, which details the advertising spend from 1995/96 to 2000/2001.
	Figures provided in these replies refer to expenditure by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) and the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). Breaking out the transport element for the years 1995/96 to 2000/01 could only be done at disproportionate cost.
	In 2001/02, the Department for Transport spent £15 million on publicity of which £9.85 million was spent on advertising.
	For the current year, 2002/2003 the Department for Transport's estimated spend for publicity and advertising is £17.9 million of which approximately £10.6 million is currently allocated to advertising.
	My Department's main publicity relates to Think! which promotes road safety messages to adults and children and is a vital part of the Government's strategy to reduce road deaths and injuries.
	Figures for Department Agencies and NDPDs are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Publicity Campaigns

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what promotional and public information campaigns his Department is (a) running and (b) planning to run during the next six months; and for each campaign, (i) how much it will cost, (A) in total and (B) to his Department, (ii) what agencies or bodies are undertaking the work and (iii) what is its planned duration.

David Jamieson: My Department is currently running three publicity campaigns: Think! road safety:
	My Department's main publicity campaign, where we intend over the next six/12 months to concentrate on messages covering child road safety, child restraints, teenage road safety, speed, seatbelts, fatigue, mobile phones, drink drive and motorcycle safety. Details of the Think! campaign calendar are regularly updated and can be viewed at www.thinkroadsafetv.gov.uk. The Think! advertising and publicity budget for 2003–04 should be just over £14 million, £6 million of which should be spent in the next six months.
	Traveline:
	Promotion of a public transport information service where expenditure of £570k is anticipated between December 2002 and July 2003 covering advertising in directories, merchandising material and posters/leaflets.
	Airports Consultation:
	Publicity to raise awareness of the current national consultation on the future development of air transport in the United Kingdom. The latest consultation will run from February to May at an estimated cost of £260,000.
	In developing these campaigns we use a range of external agencies to help take our campaign strategies forward. The creative work for the Think! campaign is currently provided by two advertising agencies—Leo Burnett and AMV with media planning/buying arranged through Carat. Two external agencies—QBO and Fishburn Hedges are also employed to extend campaign messages to lifestyle magazines and other media; while on traveline, Grasshopper have been employed to secure wider promotional opportunities.
	In addition the Department uses a range of companies on frameworks covering research, design, typesetting, paper and print, and storage/distribution. Details of fees paid to each company are commercial in confidence.

Railtrack (Administration)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much the Administration for Railtrack claimed in fees and expenses.
	(2)  what the total cost was of administration for Railtrack.

John Spellar: To date, total costs incurred are £49.5 million. Under the Railway Administration Order Rules 2001, the administrators intend to apply the High Court to seek approval for their fees and expenses. Network Rail will then reimburse the Department for Transport for those costs that were properly an expense of the administration. Only when the High Court has made a decision on the application will the total costs of administration be known.

Regional Air Services

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport from which organisations and corporate entities he has received representations on the South East and East of England Regional Air Services study and future airport policy in the South East, since 30 November 2002.

David Jamieson: The following information lists responses to "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom (South East)" received from the main organisations and corporate entities dated 30 November 2002 or later. It includes responses submitted both in hard and electronic copy, but does not include responses to the NOP questionnaire.
	Air Transport Greener by Design
	Ashford Borough Council
	Air Transport Action Group
	Babergh District Council
	Bexley Council
	Bluebase
	British Airline Pilots Association
	Business Focus
	Chartered Institute of Purchasing And Supply
	Colchester Borough Council
	Council for Travel and Tourism
	Crawley Borough Council
	East of England Local Government Conference
	East of England Development Agency
	English Heritage
	English, Welsh and Scottish Railway
	Essex County Council
	Freedom to Fly Coalition
	Friends of the Earth—West London
	Guildford Borough
	Hillingdon London Borough
	Institute of Logistics and Transport
	Kent Thameside Association
	Levett-Therivel Sustain Ability Consultants
	Local Authorities Aircraft Noise Council
	London City Airport
	London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies
	National Air Traffic Service
	Norwich City Council
	Oneworld Global Airline Alliance
	Redhill Aerodrome Ltd.
	Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington
	Stop Stansted Expansion
	The Sevenoaks Society
	Thames Gateway—South Essex
	Thurrock Council
	Tring Town Council
	Wildlife and Countryside Link
	Woodland Trust
	The consultation period throughout the UK remains open until we have consulted on Gatwick runway options. We hope to issue a revised South East consultation paper next month. The consultation period will then run for four months after the date of publication of the new material. Those who have already responded to the consultation will be able to amend, add to, or replace their response having considered the new material, if they wish to do so.
	All responses to the consultation will be considered and analysed carefully before final decisions are taken. These will be set out in an air transport White Paper, which we aim to publish towards the end of the year.

Road Building (Stonehenge)

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the draft orders relating to road construction at Stonehenge.

David Jamieson: The current programme is for draft orders to be published in May 2003.

Rolling Stock

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost is of upgrading the power supply in Railtrack's southern zones to enable the comprehensive overhaul of current trains and rolling stock.

David Jamieson: The scope, scale and cost of the power supply upgrade is still emerging but the current estimate is £915 million including a contingency.

Strategic Rail Authority (Consultants)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 7 January, Official Report, column 108W, on Strategic Rail Authority (Consultants), 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the work conducted for the Strategic Rail Authority (a) by Booz Allen and Hamilton on the Virgin trains franchise negotiation, (b) by KPMG on financial advisers for Virgin Rail Group Negotiations and (c) by KPMG on the Virgin Rail Ltd scope review and the financial advisers for Virgin Rail Group Negotiations.
	(2)  if he will make a statement on (a) the PLANET models, (b) the work by Nichols on Mark 1 rolling-stock, (c) the work by NDS Transmodal on innovation competition, (d) Project Tide, (e) the WARM(E) project and (f) Project Radar.
	(3)  if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) review of international rail services conducted by Steer Davies and Gleave, (b) study into why operational performance has failed to revert to pre-Hatfield levels, conducted by AEA Technology, (c) studies of Project Ariel, SPVs and enhancements, conducted by Lazards, (d) study of the financial adviser to Scottish passenger rail franchise relet conducted by KPMG, (e) study of Mark 1, strategic reserve vehicles conducted by Jacobs Gibb, (f) studies on due diligence of Railtrack and CLG bus plan, conducted by Booz Allen and Hamilton and (g) ELL provision of timetable validation study conducted by AEA Technology.

David Jamieson: These are matters for the Strategic Rail Authority. I have asked the Authority to contact the hon. Member directly about the information he seeks.

Terrorism

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of (a) terrorist activity and (b) suspected terrorist activity were recorded by (i) the Marine Accident Investigation Branch Transport Police and (ii) other organisations relating to marine and port activities, in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No incidents of terrorist activity targeted against ports in the UK have been recorded since 1997. Similarly, in the same period, we have no record of any incidents of suspected terrorist activity targeted against UK ports or the ships serving them. However, the hon.Member will recall the successful boarding of the MV Nisha on 21December 2001 in response to a potential terrorist threat. Our suspicions proved on that occasion to be unfounded, as the ship was wholly innocent.

Wapping Tube Station

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of Wapping tube station.

David Jamieson: Preparatory work to enable a northern extension to London Underground's East London Line is under way. It is clearly crucial that stations on any extended line comply with modern safety standards, given the increased number of passengers expected. I understand that Wapping presents particular challenges in ensuring safety compliance, given its age and restricted space. Studies are under way to explore the options for addressing these issues and no final decision has been taken on the station's future.

TREASURY

Euro

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) Gibraltar, (b) Jersey, (c) Guernsey and (d) the Isle of Man regarding the Single European Currency.

Ruth Kelly: Government officials meet often with representatives of Gibraltar, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man to discuss a range of issues.

Euro

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target he has for the proportion of businesses which will be prepared for euro entry at the time of his Department's assessment on whether Britain meets the five economic tests for euro entry.

Ruth Kelly: The Government are committed to completing an assessment of the five tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. While the Treasury has not set any targets for the proportion of businesses to make preparations it has published two outline National Changeover Plans and regular euro preparation updates containing practical information. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House. It is up to individual businesses to decide whether to make preparations for possible UK entry.

Euro

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department next intends to conduct a survey of the proportion of businesses prepared for membership of the euro.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 13 January 2003, Official Report, columns 414W-15W, and 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 54W.

Savings and Pensions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what incentives he is putting in place to encourage young people to invest in (a) individual pension schemes and (b) individual savings accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Government recognise the value of saving and asset-ownership in providing people with security, comfort in retirement and long-term independence and security. To address the problems that may have discouraged people of all ages from saving in the past the Government are implementing a strategy designed to:
	create the right environment for saving;
	provide incentives to save through favourable tax treatment; and
	ensure everyone has access to the financial information they need to make informed savings decisions.
	Young people will, in particular, benefit from pension rules allowing annual contributions of £3,600 irrespective of earnings and already benefit from the ISA rules which allow 16 and 17-year-olds to open a cash ISA. These measures provide the opportunity to begin saving tax-free at an early stage.

Textile Industry

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of staff made redundant in the textile industry between 1990 and 2000 found new employment; and in what sectors.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from L. Cook to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on redundancies in the textile industry. (92099)
	The available information from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) of households is that a total of 151,000 people were made redundant from the textiles and textile products industry (Standard Industrial Classification 1992 subsection DB) between March 1997 and November 2002. Of these, 32 per cent had found new employment by the time they were interviewed in the LFS up to three months after being made redundant. Of the 151,000 people made redundant, 13 per cent found new employment in the textiles and textile products industry, 19 per cent found new employment in the manufacturing sector as a whole and 13 per cent in the services sector.

Unemployment (Haltemprice and Howden)

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were unemployed in Haltemprice and Howden in the last 13 months for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from L. Cook to Mr. David Davis, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question regarding the number of people who were unemployed in Haltemprice and Howden in (a) the last month for which figures are available and (b) the preceding 12 months.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from surveys following the international standard International Labour Organisation definition. However the survey sample size is too small to provide estimates for the Haltemprice and Howden Parliamentary Constituency. ONS also compiles claimant count statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.
	Information on the level of claimants for the Haltemprice and Howden Parliamentary Constituency between December 2001 and December 2002 can be obtained from the Nomis(r) database at the House of Commons Library.

Working Tax Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claim forms for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit have so far (i) been issued and (ii) been returned.

Dawn Primarolo: There is a single claim form for these tax credits.
	By 29 December 2002 about 4.7 million claim forms had been-issuedand just over 2 million claims received (including 165,000 on-line).

Accounting Practices

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the powers and resources of the Financial Services Authority to investigate the accounting practices of companies.

Ruth Kelly: The powers of the Financial Services Authority are set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the secondary legislation under it. In respect of the accounting practices of companies, my RHF the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced yesterday, in response to the recommendation of the Co-ordinating Group on Audit and Accounting Issues, that the FSA will play a greater role, in partnership with the Financial Reporting Review Panel, in the enforcement of accounting standards, particularly in identifying the risks to be investigated and the selection of company accounts for investigation.

Annuities

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Financial Services Authority will add income drawdown schemes to the comparative tables that it plans to publish on annuities.

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) tell me that they do not propose to include income drawdown arrangements in their comparative tables.
	The FSA annuity Comparative Tables will provide annuity rates for what are generally referred to as 'standards annuities' joint and single life, escalating and non-escalating, smoker and non-smoker rates. These are the annuities purchased by over 80 per cent. of annuitants.

Baby Expenses

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision is available for poorer families to assist with expenses incurred in the arrival of a new baby, with particular reference to the purchase of new mattresses.

Ruth Kelly: The sure start maternity grant, worth £500, is available to people receiving income support, income-based jobseekers allowance, working families tax credit or disabled person's tax credit, to help cover the costs of a new baby. Claims can be made at any time from 11 weeks before a baby is due until three months after birth, or up to three months after the date of adoption or parental order. Those claiming must submit a certificate signed by a health professional confirming that health and welfare advice has been received.
	From April 2003, the child tax credit will create a seamless system of income-related support for families with children. Paid on top of child benefit, the child tax credit will provide a family element of £545 a year for all families with incomes of less than £50,000, plus a child element of £1,445 for each child or young person in families with incomes of up to around £13,000 a year. In the first year of a child's birth the family element is doubled, to £1,090.
	From April 2003, the sure start maternity grant will be available to all parents who receive more than the family element of child tax credit.

Budget Changes

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the principal components of the changes in the budget of HM Treasury from 2002–03 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The largest components are a £34 million anticipated decrease in the utilisation of accounting provisions by the Office of Government Commerce relating to the vacant civil estate; and a £15 million reduction in expected OGC income from other Departments.

Business Investment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of business investment was in each quarter since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the level of business investment was in each quarter since 1997. (94396)
	The information is available in the January 2003 edition of Economic Trends (No. 590). This is a National Statistics publication and is available in the House of Commons Library. The data required are contained in "Table 2.7 Gross fixed capital formation" on page T10. The series identifier for seasonally adjusted constant price business investment is NPEL.
	The most recent business investment data are also available from the business investment First Release which is available in the Library or from the National Statistics website "www.statistics.gov.uk" under "more releases".

Business Investment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the long-term effect of a drop in business investment on the (a) competitiveness, (b) productivity and (c) purchasing power parity of the UK economy.

Ruth Kelly: There is ample evidence that business investment is one of the essential drivers rising productivity and living standards. The Government's approach to raising competitiveness and productivity centres: on maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment conducive to individuals and firms investing for the long term; and implementing microeconomic reforms to remove any barriers that prevent markets from functioning effectively.

Business Property Refit

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the change in Government revenues from the abolition of Business Property Refit and Agricultural Property Refit; and if he will make a statement.
	(2)  if he will estimate the change in Government revenues from imposing a ceiling of £250,000 on assets that receive relief under Business Property Refit and Agricultural Property Refit; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The costs of inheritance tax business property and agricultural property relief in 2002–2003 are forecast to be £110 million and £130 million respectively.
	Capping each relief at £250,000 would reduce these costs to £50 million and £70 million respectively.

Capital Gains Tax

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in Government revenues from changing the capital gains tax regime simultaneously to abolish taper relief, reintroduce retirement relief and abolish the exemption of capital gains accrued but unrealised at death.

Dawn Primarolo: The full year yield, including the effect of likely taxpayer reaction, from simultaneously abolishing taper relief and reintroducing retirement relief is estimated to be £200 million in 2002–03 and £400 million in 2003–04.
	The latest available estimate of the current cost of Capital Gains Tax relief for gains accrued but unrealised at death is £500 million for 2002–03. However this takes no account of taxpayers reaction to such a major change. The yield from abolition of this relief may be significantly different due to changes in taxpayers' behaviour.
	A reliable estimate of the total yield from all measures is only available at disproportionate cost.

Child Support Agency

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency to discuss progress on county court judgments, committal proceedings and the withdrawal of driving licences for non-payment of maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Ministers have regular meetings with the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency to discuss, among other topics, the current performance of the Agency.

Civil Servants (Bonus Payments)

John Lyons: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in bonus payments to civil servants in 2001–02 related to performance in his Department.

Ruth Kelly: During the financial year 2001–02 a total of £274,980 in performance bonus payments was paid to staff.

Clearing Banks

John Burnett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to open (a) the banking money transmission service and (b) central clearing to all major clearing banks.

Ruth Kelly: The Government are closely monitoring developments in money transmission systems—otherwise known as payment systems—and will introduce legislation to give the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) new powers to promote effective competition in payment systems as soon as parliamentary time allows. It is envisaged that these new powers will include provisions designed to tackle potential restrictions on access to payment systems.
	Progress has already been made through, for example, reforms to the governance structures of the main UK payment systems. The Government welcome these moves by payment system participants to address the competition issues identified by the Cruickshank report and urges the industry to continue with these reforms.
	To promote its understanding of how payment systems operate, and to help pave the way for its prospective powers, the OFT announced on 27 November that it will conduct an empirical study into recent payment system developments, starting early in 2003.

Climate Change Levy

Sue Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what receipts he received during the fiscal year 2001–02 from companies subject to negotiated agreements under the Climate Change Levy.

John Healey: Information is not available on the levy receipts the Exchequer received during 2001–02 from those companies covered by negotiated climate change agreements.

Construction Industry

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates the Inland Revenue has made of the costs of administering the Construction Industry Scheme (a) for the construction industry and (b) for the Inland Revenue in the last financial year.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
	(a) Construction businesses are not required to report the costs they incur in administering CIS and consequently information on compliance costs is limited. Any estimates are therefore tentative but for the year 2001–02 the Inland Revenue estimate that they could have been in the region of £75 million.
	(b) The annual cost to the Inland Revenue of administering the IT system that supports CIS is in the order of £8 million. This figure does not include the costs of people working in our Network Offices and who support the system through processing work, customer support, and tax compliance activity. Generally speaking, these people carry out a wider range of activities and it would not be
	practical to apportion their costs between the time spent on CIS and on other activities.

Construction Industry

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a decision will be taken on the future of the Construction Industry Scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: A decision on the future of the Scheme will be taken following analysis of the responses to the consultation document, "The Inland Revenue and the Construction Industry: Working Together for a New Scheme".

Contingent Liabilities

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list the Government's contingent liabilities;
	(2)  if he intends to list the Government's contingent liabilities in his forthcoming Budget statement;
	(3)  if he will list the criteria which Government liabilities must meet if they are not to be included in estimates of public borrowing.

Paul Boateng: Under UK accounting standards, a liability is treated as contingent if it is dependent on uncertain future events, cannot be estimated with sufficient reliability, or is not likely to be called. By definition, contingent liabilities may never result in actual expenditure. Therefore they are not included in estimates of public expenditure or borrowing unless or until there is a reasonable expectation that expenditure will be incurred.
	The Government does not need to publish separate details of contingent liabilities in the forthcoming Budget statement because these are published in the Supplementary Statement to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts. This lists all outstanding contingent liabilities during the financial year where they are reportable to Parliament using the criteria set out in Government Accounting. The Supplementary Statement for 2001–02 was published on 19 December 2002 (HC 381). In addition, departments must follow accounting standards when disclosing contingent liabilities by way of notes to their accounts.

Cooking Oil Fuels

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on paying duty on fuels made from cooking oil.

John Healey: Any substance, whether or not it is a mineral oil, is subject to excise duty where it is used as a road fuel. This duty is normally charged at the rate of the fuel for which that substance is substituting. Where cooking oil is used in diesel-engined cars, it will normally be liable at the rate set for ultra-low sulphur diesel, which is 45.82p per litre. Some cooking oil, however, may meet the specification for biodiesel for duty purposes. The duty rate for biodiesel used as a road fuel is 25.82p per litre.

Currency Instability

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK economy of the current relative instability of major international currencies.

Ruth Kelly: The Paper for the Treasury Committee on the Treasury's approach to the preliminary and technical work, published on 6 September 2002, set out a number of supporting studies that will be published alongside the assessment of the five economic tests. Further detail can be found in the 6 September Paper. Analysis of international currency movements and their effects will form part of this work.

Earnings

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the house price to earnings ratio was for each year since 1978 in (a) England, (b) local authorities defined as rural and (c) by region.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Only some of the data requested are available because earnings data at local authority level cannot easily be obtained within a reasonable time period.
	The house price to earnings ratio has been determined from 1990 to 2001 (a) for England and (b) for each of the Government office regions. It is important to note that the average earnings used to produce this table are based on the region where the individual worked—which is not necessarily the region in which they lived. Comparisons with house prices within the same region may therefore be inappropriate.
	
		
			  North east North west Yorkshire & Humber East Midlands West Midlands East London South east South west England 
		
		
			 1990 3.38 3.96 4.29 4.66 5.00 5.18 5.58 5.73 5.47 5.31 
			 1991 3.41 3.80 4.14 4.20 4.60 4.70 4.99 5.25 4.92 4.80 
			 1992 3.23 3.79 3.79 3.89 4.17 4.12 4.20 4.65 4.35 4.27 
			 1993 3.45 3.63 3.69 3.66 3.93 4.14 3.90 4.53 3.96 3.96 
			 1994 3.45 3.62 3.51 3.65 3.85 4.06 3.98 4.58 3.97 3.94 
			 1995 3.24 3.44 3.44 3.51 3.83 4.08 3.87 4.54 3.97 3.87 
			 1996 3.19 3.38 3.47 3.58 3.83 4.12 3.89 4.60 4.04 3.89 
			 1997 3.31 3.49 3.53 3.61 3.95 4.46 4.31 4.93 4.20 4.11 
			 1998 3.34 3.56 3.52 3.77 4.04 4.81 4.71 6.28 4.50 4.39 
			 1999 3.50 3.70 3.59 3.78 4.15 4.94 5.51 5.63 4.83 4.71 
			 2000 3.47 3.84 3.64 4.11 4.55 5.47 6.00 6.37 5.35 5.15 
			 2001 3.55 4.10 3.85 4.40 4.62 5.74 6.17 6.62 5.65 5.31 
		
	
	Sources:
	New Earnings Survey, ONS
	Survey of Mortgage Lenders, ODPM

EU (Economic Reform)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 428W, on EU (economic reform), what discussions his Department has had with its European counterparts regarding (a) the steps for economic reform in the EU, detailed in the Government's White Paper on European economic reform, "Realising Europe's Potential: Economic Reform in Europe", February 2002 and (b) general economic reform in the EU.

Ruth Kelly: The Department has had numerous discussions with its European counterparts on the economic reform issues detailed in the Government's White Paper, and on European economic reform in general, within ECOFIN (and its associated committees), and in the context of the annual spring European Council on economic reform.

EU Financial Market Liberalisation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department's plans for liberalisation of financial markets in the European Union, as set out in the Government's White Paper on European economic reform, "Realising Europe's Potential: Economic Reform in Europe", February 2002, depend on (a) wider membership of European economic and monetary union among all EU states and (b) British membership of EMU.

Ruth Kelly: Liberalisation of financial markets does not depend on membership of European economic and monetary union.

Exempt Transfers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the number and (b) the value of potentially exempt transfers in the last year for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Insufficient data is available on which to base such estimates.

HIPC Initiative

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 54–55W, on the HIPC initiative, for what reasons figures for 2001 and 2002 on external debt outstanding for countries between decision point and completion point are not available.

John Healey: There are various sources of data for the external debt of developing countries. However, the most authoritative and complete source is "Global Development Finance" published by the World Bank. The last edition published in March 2002 provides figures on external debt for all these countries up until 2000, figures for 2001 will be published in the 2003 edition.

HM Customs

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether it is the policy of HM Customs to withhold from the media details of seizures, arrests, and subsequent charges.
	(2)  what gun and other ordnance seizures were made by HM Customs in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002, identifying (i) the weaponry seized, (ii) where it was seized, (iii) where the weaponry was hidden and (iv) subsequent arrests and charges; and what estimate he has made of the number of seizures where the weaponry was destined for organised crime gangs.
	(3)  how many gun seizures there were at British ports by HM Customs between April 2002 and November 2002; how many arrests were made; and how many people were charged in connection with these seizures.

John Healey: Up to 31 March 2002, the period for which information is available, most seizures of firearms were regulatory breaches with little to suggest they were being imported for criminal purposes. Number of illegal firearms seized by Customs and Excise
	
		Number of illegal firearms seized by Customs and Excise
		
			 Year ended 31 March Hand guns Rifles Shotguns Self defence sprays Stun guns Total 
		
		
			 2000 417 95 129 1,169 101 1,911 
			 2001 163 48 44 2,428 114 2,697 
			 2002 304 111 219 1,237 144 2,015 
		
	
	The majority of seizures were made in various ports, airports and international parcel postal depots. No centrally held and readily accessible information is available on where the weapons were hidden or whether any detection involved criminal proceedings being instituted.
	Figures for illegal firearms seized are not yet available for the period between April and November 2002, but within the overall totals since April 2002 Customs have made four significant seizures of consignments of guns believed to be destined for criminal use. Firearms seized total some 20 hand guns and 35 sub machine guns plus a quantity of ammunition and explosive. The cases are subject to continuing investigation by Police and Customs. Customs do not release information if there is a risk of prejudicing ongoing or future enquiries, as provided for by Exemptions 4 (Law enforcement and legal proceedings) and 7 (Effective management and operations of the public service) of the Code of Practice on Access toGovernment Information.

House Prices

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average price of a house was in real terms in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Survey of Mortgage Lenders has been a valuable source of information on house prices back to 1968, data from the survey are reliable only down to regional level. Reliable house price information at local authority level has only been available since 1996 when the Land Registry constructed its database of all property transactions in England and Wales. Consequently the data presented in the following tables cover only the period 1996 to 2002 (Ql to Q3).
	
		Average house prices in rural local authorities by region, 1996–2002—at current prices
		
			 (£) 
			 Region 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002(2) 
		
		
			 East 68,789 75,031 81,929 90,250 104,986 118,988 139,817 
			 East Midlands 64,383 68,442 74,321 80,404 89,915 99,631 115,919 
			 North East 53,655 57,563 58,448 63,614 65,776 68,825 76,113 
			 North West 59,356 63,177 65,935 70,950 75,636 82,354 91,781 
			 South East 84,847 92,392 103,120 115,551 135,758 149,571 168,999 
			 South West 71,674 77,565 84,515 94,136 108,854 122,187 144,183 
			 West Midlands 71,383 77,854 84,089 91,416 100,481 114,167 131,626 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 66,011 69,164 70,886 75,979 81,359 89,006 105,069 
			 All England(3) 73,929 80,669 88,427 98,513 110,724 121,916 138,296 
		
	
	(2) Q1 to Q3
	(3) Urban and Rural
	
		Average house prices in rural local authorities by region, 1996–2002— at constant 1996 prices
		
			 (£) 
			 Region 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002(4) 
		
		
			 East 68,789 72,744 76,799 83,321 94,136 104,783 121,652 
			 East Midlands 64,383 66,356 69,667 74,230 80,623 87,737 100,859 
			 North East 53,655 55,809 54,789 58,730 58,978 60,609 66,225 
			 North West 59,356 61,252 61,806 65,502 67,819 72,523 79,857 
			 South East 84,847 89,577 96,663 106,679 121,727 131,716 147,044 
			 South West 71,674 75,201 79,223 86,908 97,605 107,600 125,451 
			 West Midlands 71,383 75,481 78,824 84,397 90,096 100,538 114,526 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 66,011 67,056 66,447 70,145 72,951 78,381 91,419 
			 All England(5) 73,929 78,211 82,890 90,949 99,281 107,362 120,329 
		
	
	(4) Q1 to Q3
	(5) Urban and Rural
	Note:
	The rural local authorities included in the above figures are those that are classified by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as "mixed rural" or "deeply rural".
	Source:
	Land Registry

Income Drawdown Policies

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many investors have taken out income drawdown policies in each year since their inception in 1995;
	(2)  how many people in each of the last five years who previously had an income drawdown scheme bought an annuity before they were 75-years-old.

Ruth Kelly: Available estimates of the number of new income drawdown plans purchased are contained in the following table .
	
		New Income Drawdown Plans(6)
		
			 Year Number of new policies (thousand) 
		
		
			 1996 10 
			 1997 14 
			 1998 19 
			 1999 18 
			 2000 14 
			 2001 15 
		
	
	Source:
	Association of British Insurers (ABI). Note that figures are only available from 1996.
	No estimates are available of the number who have purchased an annuity before aged 75 after having been in income drawdown.

Income Tax

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue gain from an income tax rate of (a) 42 per cent., (b) 44 per cent., (c) 45 per cent., (d) 48 per cent., (e) 50 per cent., (f) 52 per cent., (g) 54 per cent. and (h) 55 per cent. on taxable incomes exceeding (i) £60,000 pa, (ii) £70,000 pa, (iii) £80,000 pa, (iv) £90,000 pa, (v) £100,000 pa, (vi) £120,000 pa, (vii) £140,000 pa, (viii) £150,000 pa, (ix) £175,000 pa, (x) £200,000 pa, (xi) £220,000 pa and (xii) £250,000 pa.

Dawn Primarolo: The full year revenue gain in 2003–04 from making the changes is set out in the table.
	
		£ billion 
		
			 Taxable income exceeding Income tax rates (percentage)  
			  42 44 45 48 50 52 54 55 
		
		
			 60k 1.8 3.2 3.9 5.9 7.2 8.6 9.9 10.6 
			 70k 1.6 2.8 3.4 5.2 6.4 7.6 8.8 9.4 
			 80k 1.5 2.6 3.1 4.7 5.8 6.9 8.0 8.5 
			 90k 1.4 2.4 2.8 4.3 5.3 6.3 7.3 7.8 
			 100k 1.3 2.2 2.6 4.0 4.9 5.8 6.7 7.2 
			 120k 1.1 1.9 2.3 3.5 4.3 5.1 5.9 6.3 
			 140k 1.0 1.7 2.1 3.1 3.9 4.6 5.3 5.6 
			 150k 1.0 1.6 2.0 3.0 3.7 4.4 5.0 5.4 
			 175k 0.9 1.5 1.8 2.7 3.3 3.9 4.5 4.8 
			 200k 0.8 1.3 1.6 2.4 3.0 3.5 4.1 4.4 
			 220k 0.7 1.3 1.5 2.3 2.8 3.3 3.8 4.1 
			 250k 0.7 1.1 1.4 2.1 2.5 3.0 3.5 3.7 
		
	
	The estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the November 2002 pre-Budget report. These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

Income Tax/National Insurance

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average lifetime contributions in (a) Income Tax and (b) National Insurance of (i) university graduates and (ii) non-graduates.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not hold information about the qualifications of taxpayers or people paying National Insurance Contributions.

Industrial Action/Illness

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working days have been lost in his Department and its predecessors due to (a) industrial action and (b) illness in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: (holding answer 27 January 2003): No working days have been lost due to industrial action since 1997. On sick absence I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Nigel Evans) on 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 753W.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Adrian Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of unpaid volunteers involved in schemes funded by the landfill tax credit scheme.

John Healey: No estimate has been made of the number of unpaid volunteers involved in projects funded by the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. However, the Government are conscious of the good work they do, and is committed to promoting volunteering, as outlined in the discussion document "Next Steps on Volunteering and Giving in the UK", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Volunteers can make an enormous contribution to our society, in helping to meet social and environmental challenges.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Adrian Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of private funds attracted by the public funds provided by the landfill tax credit scheme in each year since its inception.

John Healey: No precise figures are held on the quantity of match funding obtained by projects funded through the landfill tax credit scheme. However, a study by Glasgow Caledonian University for Entrust, the scheme's regulator, has estimated that on average waste management and recycling projects have levered in approximately 34 per cent. additional funding in addition to landfill tax credit scheme funding.

Ministerial Travel

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) international and (b) domestic travel costs were of each Treasury Minister in each year since 2000.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office, on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Mortgage Equity

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of mortgage equity withdrawal was in each quarter since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Figures on mortgage equity withdrawal are produced by the Bank of England and can be found on their website at www.bankofengland.co.uk/mew.xls.

Mortgage Equity

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the effect mortgage equity withdrawal has on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Full consideration is given to such effects in the assessments of economic developments and prospects published by the Treasury in Pre-Budget and Budget Reports.

Public-Private Partnerships

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 21 November 2002, Official Report, column 280W, on PPP and PFI, what plans he has to review the system of assessing whether a PFI deal is on or off balance sheet.

Paul Boateng: None. The Government's policy when accounting for PFI contracts is to follow Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP). In particular, Application Note F to Financial Reporting Standard 5—Private Finance Initiatives and Similar Contract complemented by the Treasury Taskforce Technical Note No. 1 (Revised) 'How to Account for PFI Transactions'.
	The balance sheet treatment of particular assets procured through PFI is audited by the National Audit Office or, where applicable, the Audit Commission, not the Government.

Rebated Gas Oil

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 752W, on rebated gas oil, what criteria are used in determining whether red diesel can be used by a vehicle.

John Healey: The Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 sets out the circumstances in which rebated (or "red") diesel can be used in vehicles.
	HM Customs and Excise Notice 75—"Fuel for road vehicles"—explains this and is available from either the Customs National Advice Service (tel: 0845 010900) or from the Customs website (www.hmce.gov.uk).

Stock Market

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of (a) business, (b) the insurance sector and (c) the pension fund sector on the value of the FTSE 100 share index.

Ruth Kelly: Ministers and officials regularly meet representatives from business and the financial sector and discuss a range of issues.

Tax Harmonisation

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he (a) has had and (b) intends to have with his European counterparts concerning harmonisation of VAT and corporation tax levels as a result of Franco-German agreement concerning the future of the European Union.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have made it quite clear that the harmonisation of VAT and corporation tax levels is not the way forward for Europe.

Tobacco Smuggling

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 48W, on tobacco smuggling, when the Government expect to publish their response to the Committee of Public Accounts' report on tobacco smuggling.

John Healey: The Government will publish their response to the Committee of Public Accounts' report on tobacco smuggling in the normal way by Treasury Minute.

Diversity Programme

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of the HM Treasury (a) diversity action plan and (b) diversity programme in each year since 1997–98.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury's diversity awareness programme was introduced in spring 2001. The cost of the awareness programme is met from within
	the Treasury's existing DEL.

Feedback Programme

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of the HM Treasury 360 degree feedback programme in each of the last three years; how many HM Treasury staff went on this programme; what its purpose is; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has in place a 360 feedback programme as part of its drive to improve leadership skills and in response to the Cabinet Office target that all of the Senior Civil Service should go through a 360 feedback and personal development programme. To date, 115 people have taken part in the programme, including 42 people below the Senior Civil Service. The cost of the programme was met from within the Treasury's existing DEL.

Staff (Pay)

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the highest percentage pay rises were among HM Treasury staff in each year from 1997; which staff received these pay rises; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Percentage increase Reason 
		
		
			 1999–2000 7.4 Increase due to exceptional performance and relatively low existing salary 
			 2000–01 15.1 Increase due to exceptional performance and relatively low existing salary 
			 2001–02 15.0 Increase in the range minimum 
			 2002–03 7.6 Increase due to exceptional performance and relatively low existing salary 
		
	
	To provide the percentage pay rises for the years 1997 and 1998 the cost would be disproportionate.

Staff (Pay)

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the average percentage pay rise in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 for HM Treasury staff, broken down to show (i) all staff and (ii) Senior Civil Service staff; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Below Senior Civil Service (%) 4.4 4.2 
			 Senior Civil Service (%) 5.0 8.4

WORK AND PENSIONS

Family Incomes

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families had an income below £10,000 a year in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table:
	
		Proportion of families with children with total income below £10,000 a year at 2001–02 prices
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1997–98 16 
			 1998–99 15 
			 1999–2000 13 
			 2000–01 12 
			 2001–02 11 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on a total income of £10,000 at 2001–02 prices. Constant prices are worked out on the basis of survey year, for instance, April 2001 to March 2002.
	2. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for tenure type, council tax band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and remaining response bias.
	3. Total income is income from all sources for all adults and children, including tax credits.
	4. Total income has not been adjusted for family size.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey (Great Britain).

Family Incomes (Warrington, North)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of families in Warrington, North whose family income is (a) less than £10,000, (b) between £10,000 and £20,000 and (c) between £20,000 and £30,000 per annum.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.

Child Benefit Claims

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many child benefit claims have been received in (a) total and (b) via the electronic claim process since the launch of the child benefit electronic claim form; and how many claims proved to be successful.

Malcolm Wicks: The Child Benefit electronic claims process was introduced on 28 October 2002. The total number of Child Benefit claims received in the Child Benefit Centre during the period 28 October 2002 to 13 January 2003 was 156,852. Of these, 1,797 claims were received electronically, 1.1 per cent. of overall total. During the same period around 11,000 claims were disallowed in total, although this will include some claims made before 28 October. No information is available on the proportion of disallowed claims that were received electronically.

Child Support Agency

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he plans to make to the operation of the Child Support Agency; when those changes will come into effect; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to the House on 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 567–68.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evaluation has been undertaken of the changes in the single room rent regulations of housing benefit; what the conclusion of that evaluation were; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: To help promote work incentives, we broadened the definition of the Single Room Rent (SRR) from 2 July 2001 to reflect better the type of accommodation available in the market to young single people. Our aim is both to ease the problems faced by young people in getting and maintaining accommodation, and encourage landlords to rent to young adults.
	This year we will be testing out the Standard Local Housing Allowances (SLHA) in around 10 pathfinder local authorities. Private sector tenants will be paid according to average local rents rather than rents charged. This will allow people to know in advance what housing benefit support they will receive, promote choice and personal responsibility and bridge the gap between benefit and work by allowing tenants to budget for their own rent. The evaluation of the pathfinders will include tracking the effects of the SLHA on people under 25 years of age, and the results will inform consideration of whether any changes to the younger person rent restrictions are necessary.
	As part of a wider project examining the options for simplification of housing benefit in the private rent sector, "Housing Benefit Simplification in the Private Rented Sector" by Pettigrew N and Thomas A (DWP in-house research report No.107), looked at the SRR. This report was published in December 2002 and a copy is available in the Library.

Income Support

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of reducing or withdrawing income support from lone parent students prior to receipt of student loans at the start of term.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are encouraging everyone with the necessary qualifications, including lone parents, to enter further and higher education. For further education institutions in England 1 , we have increased the ring-fenced budget for child care funds by 20 per cent. to £36 million in 2002–03. In higher education in England and Wales 1 , lone parents already pay no tuition fees if their income is less than £20,480, and have access to a range of support including grants for child care, school meals and travel, books and equipment. These grants are being simplified from next September, as all lone parents (including students) will now be eligible for the new child tax credit being introduced from April 2003. This will make it even easier for lone parents to make the transition from benefits to higher education.
	Student loans are paid in three instalments and are taken into account in income-related benefits for the period they are intended to cover i.e. September to June. The Department for Education and Skills has made arrangements to ensure that students who need financial help in the period before their first loan instalment arrives, can receive a payment from the Access and Hardship Funds held by their university to tide them over. This payment is disregarded in assessing entitlement to income-related benefits.
	1 Further and higher education arrangements in Scotland may differ from those in England.

Minimum Wage

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will estimate the impact on the level of benefit payments of setting the minimum wage for young people at (a) £4.17 per hour and (b) £4.87 per hour;
	(2)  if he will estimate the impact on each benefit payable to those in paid employment of a national minimum wage of (a) £4.17 and (b) £4.87 for the next financial year;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of benefit savings which would result from an increase in the national minimum wage from (a) £4.20 to £4.87 and (b) £3.60 to £4.17 in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, and (iv) Northern Ireland;
	(4)  if he will estimate the impact on benefit payments in the next financial year of a single minimum wage for all age groups of (a) £4.17 per hour, (b) £4.20 per hour, (c) £4.87, (d) £5 per hour and (e) £5.30 per hour.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table:
	
		£ 
		
			 Change to minimum wage Estimated reduction in benefit payments for 2003–04(6),(7),(8) 
		
		
			 Set at £4.17 per hour for young people 3,700,000 
			 Set at £4.87 per hour for young people 20,000,000 
			 Set at £4.17 per hour for all age groups 3,700,000 
			 Set at £4.87 per hour for all age groups 68,800,000 
			   
			 Increase from £4.20 to £4.87 for adults (aged 22+) and £3.60 to £4.17 for young people(aged 19–21)4,5 
			 In Scotland 11,400,000 
			 In England 78,000,000 
			 In Wales 4,300,000 
			 Set at £4.20 per hour for all age groups 3,900,000 
			 Set at £5.00 per hour for all age groups 82,000,000 
			 Set at £5.30 per hour for all age groups 117,600,000 
		
	
	(6) The benefits included in the savings estimates are Pensioners Credit, Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Rebate. Tax Credits administered by Inland Revenue have not been included.
	(7) The model does not estimate changes in employment and therefore the results do not account for any changes that may occur in the supply and demand of labour as a result of changing the national minimum wage.
	(8) Estimates cannot be broken down by benefit due to small sample sizes. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £100,000.
	(9) The results show the impact of raising the adult minimum wage and the young persons minimum wage simultaneously.
	(10) Social Security matters for Northern Ireland are dealt with by the Northern Ireland Office.
	Source:
	Figures are estimated using the DWP's Policy Simulation Model for 2003–04 based on the Family Resources Survey 2000–01

Prisoners

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners have immediate access to benefits and services provided by the Department on the point of release.

Malcolm Wicks: Ex-offenders have particular difficulties in returning to the labour market. We also know that those without accommodation or employment are twice as likely to re-offend. In recognition of this we are introducing a number of initiatives to help ex-offenders move into work.
	£3 million has been allocated over three years to the development of Freshstart, launched in October 2001. Freshstart aims to improve the transition from custody to work through improving the links between prisons and jobcentres. It also provides prisoners who have not already secured a job with an appointment for a new jobseeker interview on release, providing direct access to jobs and the new deal, as well as speeding up their claim for jobseeker's allowance. By the end of November 2002, over 23,000 new jobseeker interviews had been booked.
	In July 2002 we launched a pilot scheme to place touch-screen jobpoints in prisons. There are two trials currently running; computer access to the Department's Worktrain site in Durham, Onley, Askham Grange and Moorland prisons; and jobpoints in Lewes, Swansea, Hollesley Bay and Featherstone prisons.
	We are also currently developing an Employment and Benefit Surgeries in Prisons project to meet the recommendations made in the Home Office Social Exclusion Unit report "Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners". We aim to start national roll out later in 2003. The project will offer all prisoners aged 18 and over one-to-one guidance on access to the full range of benefits and services offered by the Department.Typically this will cover:
	Job search activity
	Training and education opportunities
	Support programmes such as new deal and progress2workLinkUp
	Procedures to follow and steps to take in making a claim to benefit
	This new work will build upon and complement existing provision for ex-offenders.
	We have also developed a number of pilot programmes called Progress2work-LinkUP which focus on providing support for those at greatest disadvantage within the labour market, including ex-offenders. This initiative extends existing provision to tackle the issues that represent significant barriers to employment. The pilots support people by:
	providing specialist advice away from the normal New Deal and other mainstream measures and
	offering access and referral to appropriate specialists
	Nine pilots were launched in autumn 2002 in Avon and Somerset, Merseyside and Metropolitan and West Yorkshire. Up to 10 further pilots are planned for 2003–04 focusing on the Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and Thames Valley areas.

Private Pension Annuities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about allowing people with an occupational pension as well as a private pension not to have to purchase an annuity for their private pension; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	I am not aware of any such representations.
	On 17 December 2002, the Government published, for consultation, simplification proposals for the pensions tax rules. The consultation paper, "Simplifying the Taxation of Pensions: Increasing Choice and Flexibility", is available in the House of Commons Library. The consultation is to allow people the opportunity to put forward their views before final decisions are taken.

HEALTH

Ambulance Service (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully operational ambulances were stationed at each of the ambulance stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Ambulance cover in the East Riding 1997–2002
		
			 Station Number of vehicles Day cover Night cover 
		
		
			 Withernsea 1 1 crew 1 crew 
			 Hornsea 1 1 crew 1 crew 
			 Bridlington 3 3 crews 1 crew 
			 Driffield 1 1 crew 1 crew 
			 Pocklington 2 2 crews 1 crew 
			 Brough 2 2 crews 1 crew 
			 Beverley 2 2 crews 1 crew 
			 Goole 3 3 crews 2 crews 
			 Total number of vehicles 15   
		
	
	Source:
	Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust.

Ambulance Service (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by postcode area in Haltemprice and Howden the response times for ambulances reacting to (a) Category A and (b) Category B calls, excluding the response times of first responder vehicles, in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Population Statistics (East Riding)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate how many children whose third birthday fell between 1 September 2002 and 31 December 2002 migrated into the East Riding of Yorkshire authority in each month since 1 April 2001.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from L. Cook to Mr. David Davis, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question on the migration of children to the East Riding of Yorkshire authority whose third birthday fell between 1 September 2002 and 31 December 2002. (93840)
	The attached table shows the number of children born between 1 September 1999 and 31 December 1999 who moved into the East Riding Health Authority from other areas of the UK. The figures are shown by month from April 2001 to March 2002 and exclude any children who migrated from countries outside the UK. It should be noted that these statistics are subject to revision in light of the 2001 Census results.
	Information for April 2002 onwards is not yet available; data for April to June 2002 will be available in March 2003, with data for the third and fourth quarters of 2002 becoming available in June and September 2003 respectively.
	These estimates of internal migration have been taken from data provided to the Migration Statistics Unit at the Office for National Statistics by the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR). The NHSCR is notified when a patient in England and Wales transfers to a new NHS doctor in a different health authority, or health board in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
	
		Migrant moves of children born between 1 September and 31 December, 1999 into the East Riding Health Authority—moves taking place by month since 1st April, 2001 -- numbers
		
			 Year Month Number of Migrants 
		
		
			 2001 April 8 
			  May 11 
			  June 9 
			  July 8 
			  August 18 
			  September 8 
			  October 4 
			  November 5 
			  December 8 
			
			 2002 January 2 
			  February 4 
			  March 8 
			  Total: 93 
		
	
	These statistics are subject to revision in light of the 2001 Census results.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 11 December 2002 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. and Mrs. A Wild;
	(2)  why he has not replied to the letter to him dated 11 December 2002 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. A. Wild.

Alan Milburn: A reply was sent to the right hon. Member on 29 January 2003.

CT Scanner (Blackpool)

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the steps that need to be taken before an additional CT scanner can be installed at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Jacqui Smith: Before any computed tomography (CT) scanner can be installed in the national health service, European Union legislation requires that a formal procurement process must be undertaken. This consists of an advert in the Official Journal of the European Community, followed by an evaluation of interested suppliers and an invitation to offer via tender. Once contracts have been signed, the successful supplier will agree a suitable delivery date with the NHS trust concerned.
	Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre NHS trust has made a bid for central funding from the Department of Health to allow the capital purchase of an additional CT scanner, as part of the NHS Cancer Plan programme. The final stages of a consultation process with strategic health authorities, cancer networks and local commissioners will shortly confirm whether the trust has been successful in securing such funding.

Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices are taking on new NHS patients in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes, (b) Grimsby, (c) Scunthorpe, (d) Brigg and Goole, (e) Hull West and Hessle, (f) Hull East, (g) Hull North, (h) Haltemprice and Howden, (i) Gainsborough and (j) Louth and Horncastle.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Constituency Practices accepting new patients 
		
		
			 Cleethorpes 8 
			 Grimsby 7 
			 Scunthorpe 7 
			 Brigg and Goole 4 
			 Hull West and Hessle 9 
			 Hull East 5 
			 Hull North 4 
			 Haltemprice and Howden 3 
			 Gainsborough 3 
			 Louth and Horncastle 4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. General Dental Service: dental practices accepting new patients, November 2002.
	2. These numbers are estimated using information from expenditure claims made to the Dental Practice Board (DPB).

Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have retired in the past year in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes and (b) Grimsby.

Jacqui Smith: No dentists from the constituencies of Cleethorpes and Grimsby retired during 2002.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new dental practices taking NHS patients have opened in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes and (b) Grimsby since 1 January 2002.

Jacqui Smith: Since 1 January 2002, no new dental practices have opened in the Cleethorpes or Grimsby constituencies.

Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust about the provision of NHS dental treatment in (a) Grimsby and (b) Cleethorpes constituencies.

Jacqui Smith: Responsibility for National Health Service dental care in Grimsby and Cleethorpes is the responsibility of North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust. The consultant in dental public health at the North East Primary Care Trust has been discussing access to NHS dentistry in North East Lincolnshire with officials at the Department of Health.

Public Health Laboratory Service

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reference to 'key staff meltdown', experienced in PHLS in the report to the Steering Group of the HPA.

Hazel Blears: Records of staff turnover are not held centrally. However, information from each of the component organisations indicate that there have been no dramatic increases in the overall number of staff resignations.
	The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) has indicated that there are above average resignations in a small number of management posts, potentially directly affected by the proposed changes. The Department will be working with the PHLS board to address any business continuity issues that may arise as a consequence.

Hull and East Riding Hospitals

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been allocated to each of the Hull and East Riding hospitals for ward environment budgets each year since 1 October 2000; how much was spent in each year; and for what other purposes was the money used.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 9 January 2003
	Ward environment budgets are provided to be spent at the discretion of the charge nurse or ward sister. The purpose of these funds are to cater for items such as decoration, furniture and carpets to help improve the facilities for patients. Expenditure relating to ward environment budgets for the Hull and East Yorkshire National Health Service Hospitals Trust is summarised as follows:
	In 2000–01, the trust received £185,000 from the Department. This amount was allocated to ward staff and £177,000 was spent by them.
	In 2001–02, no specific allocation was received by local primary care trusts or hospitals. However the trust allocated an additional £59,000 to its ward environment budget.
	In 2002–03, no specific allocation was received by local primary care trusts or hospitals. However the trust allocated an additional £227,000 to its ward environment budget.

Neurological Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the transitional issues between child and adult and adult and older people's neurological services will be handled within the national service framework for long-term medical conditions.

Jacqui Smith: The national service framework (NSF) for long-term medical conditions will focus on services and support for adults, but will consider the handling of transitional issues with children's and older people's services in its working groups.
	This could include building on existing NSF standards, National Institute for Clinical Excellence clinical guidance and making links with other strategies and policies both within the Department and across Government.

Congenital Anomalies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the incidence of osteoglophonic dysplasia per thousand live births was (a) nationally, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades;
	(2)  how many cases of osteoglophonic dysplasia were recorded (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from L. Cook to Mrs. Caroline Spelman, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking for the incidence number and rate for osteoglophonic dysplasia reported nationally, in Solihull and in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades. (93855, 93856)
	The National Congenital Anomaly System (NCAS), based at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), codes all anomalies using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Between 1968 and 1988, using the 8th and 9th revisions of ICD, osteoglophonic dysplasia was assigned to a code that also included a number of other anomalies of the skull and face bones. Therefore it is not possible to identify number of babies born with osteoglophonic dysplasia prior to 1988. However from 1989, notifications held on NCAS contained descriptive text of the anomalies present. It is therefore possible to identify cases of osteoglophonic dysplasia from 1989. With the introduction of the 10th revision of ICD in 1995, osteoglophonic dysplasia has been separately coded.
	Prior to 1995, ONS collected all notifications of congenital anomalies that were identified within ten days of birth. From 1995, ONS has collected all notifications of congenital anomalies whenever they are identified.
	The attached table shows the number of babies in England and Wales notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System with osteoglophonic dysplasia and rate per 10,000 live births for the years 1989 to 2001. During this period there was only one case of osteoglophonic dysplasia reported to the NCAS in Solihull health authority in 1994. Figures from NCAS are not routinely published below health authority level.
	
		Live born babies notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System with osteoglophonic dysplasia(11). England and Wales, numbers and rates per 10000 live births
		
			  Numbers Rate per 10000 live births 
		
		
			 1989 2 0.03 
			 1990 3 0.04 
			 1991 1 0.01 
			 1992 2 0.03 
			 1993 0 — 
			 1994 0 — 
			 1995 2 0.03 
			 1996 1 0.02 
			 1997 1 0.02 
			 1998 2 0.03 
			 1999 0 — 
			 2000 1 0.02 
			 2001 0 — 
		
	
	(11) During 1989–1994, under the 9th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, cases coded as 756.0 were searched for the term osteoglophonic dysplasia or its synonyms craniofacial dysostosis and Crouzon's disease.
	During 1995–2001, under the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, any cases with code Q75.1 were selected.
	Source:
	National Congenital Anomaly System @ 28 January 2003

Congenital Anomalies

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the incidence of severe hypoplastic left heart syndrome per thousand live births was (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades;
	(2)  how many cases of severe hypoplastic left heart syndrome were recorded (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from L. Cook to Mrs. Caroline Spelman, dated 30 January 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking for the incidence number and rate (per thousand live births) of severe hypoplastic left heart syndrome reported nationally, in Solihull and in the south of Solihull in each of the last three decades. (93854, 93853)
	The National Congenital Anomaly System (NCAS), based at Office for National Statistics (ONS), codes all anomalies using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Between 1968 and 1978, when the 8th revision of ICD was used, hypoplastic left heart syndrome was assigned to a code that also includes a number of other specific anomalies of the heart. Therefore it is not possible to identify number of babies born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome prior to 1979.
	Since the introduction of the 9th revision of ICD in 1979, hypoplastic left heart syndrome has been separately coded. It is therefore possible to provide the information requested from 1979 onwards. Prior to 1995, ONS collected all notifications of congenital anomalies that were identified within ten days of birth. From 1995, ONS has collected all notifications of congenital anomalies whenever they are identified.
	The attached table shows the number of babies in England and Wales notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and rate per 1,000 live births for the years 1979 to 2001. During this period there was only one case of hypoplastic left heart syndrome reported to NCAS in Solihull health authority in 1999. Figures from NCAS are not routinely published below health authority level.
	
		Live born babies notified to the National Congenital Anomaly System with hypoplastic left heart syndrome(12), England and Wales, numbers and rates per 1000 live births
		
			  Numbers Rate per 1000 live births 
		
		
			 1979 6 0.01 
			 1980 10 0.02 
			 1981 8 0.01 
			 1982 13 0.02 
			 1983 18 0.03 
			 1984 20 0.03 
			 1985 24 0.04 
			 1986 16 0.02 
			 1987 18 0.03 
			 1988 9 0.01 
			 1989 24 0.03 
			 1990 13 0.02 
			 1991 10 0.01 
			 1992 13 0.02 
			 1993 8 0.01 
			 1994 26 0.04 
			 1995 16 0.02 
			 1996 28 0.04 
			 1997 32 0.05 
			 1998 18 0.03 
			 1999 33 0.05 
			 2000 39 0.06 
			 2001 33 0.06 
		
	
	(12) Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is coded as:
	1979–199 9th revision of the International Classification of Diseases—code 746.7
	1995–200 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases—code Q23.4
	Source:
	National Congenital Anomaly System @ 28 January 2003

Parkinson's Disease

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about reducing waiting times to see a consultant about Parkinson's Disease.

Jacqui Smith: Ministers have had no discussions with the Scottish Executive on this subject.
	The national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease, brain and spinal injury, as well as some of the common issues faced by people with a long-term condition. It will include services for people with epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and other similar conditions.
	Publication of the NSF is currently planned for 2004, with implementation starting in 2005.

Protection of Children Act

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions he has taken to inform voluntary organisations of the scope of the Protection of Children Act 1999.

Jacqui Smith: Guidance on the Protection of Children Act 1999 was published in September 2000 and distributed to a large range of statutory and voluntary child care organisations. The guidance continues to be made available and is published on the Department of Health website for easy access.

Hospital Waiting Lists/Times

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust area were waiting for in-patient treatment on the latest available date.

Jacqui Smith: As at 10 January 2003, the number of patients waiting for in-patient and day case treatment at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust was 9,322.

Hospital Waiting Lists/Times

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited 13 weeks or more for an out-patient appointment in Hull and the East Riding in each of the last three quarters for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Waiting times for first out-patient appointment, NHS trusts and PCTs within North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire StHA area—provider based—number of GP written referral requests seen during the quarter who waited 13 weeks or more
		
			 Code Name March 2002 June 2002 Sept 2002 
		
		
			 RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 5,727 3,950 4,634

PRIVY COUNCIL

Parliamentary Questions

Graham Allen: To ask the President of the Council what representations he has received about bringing forward proposals for making the rise of the House the time for the shuffle for oral questions; and if he will make a statement.

Robin Cook: I have only received one such representation, and that was from my hon. Friend. I have no plans to change the time for the shuffle.

Service Delivery Agreement

Tony Wright: To ask the President of the Council when the Privy Council Office's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

Robin Cook: The Privy Council Office is not required to have a service delivery agreement.
	A new business plan is, however, being prepared, and will be published on the Privy Council Office website (www.privycouncil.gov.uk) later this year. The plan will include our main performance targets, and when it is published, I will write to my hon. Friend to let him know.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Local Authority Housing

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to expand the use of Arms Length Management Organisations.

Tony McNulty: Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) for local authority housing are one of the Government's key options for improving service delivery for tenants and achieving the decent homes target. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's commitment to ALMOs is set to continue and we will be announcing the level of resources available for the next three years of the programme shortly.

Business Co-ordination Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff work for the Business Co-ordination Unit; how many worked for the unit in each year since it was formed; and what the running costs of the unit are in 2002–03.

Christopher Leslie: There are currently three staff employed in the Business Co-ordination Unit, with two vacant posts. In 2000 when the unit was set up there were four members of staff, this increased to five in April 2002. The running costs budget for the unit in 2002–03 is £300,000.

Deprivation Indices

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to ensure that the calculation of deprivation indices take account of local crime rates.

Barbara Roche: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently engaged in a project to consider options for updating the Indices of Deprivation 2000 (ID 2000). As part of this project, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is investigating the potential for constructing a Crime and Social Order domain, which would measure the deprivation people face as a result of crime or as a result of living in an area with high rates of crime and social disorder. Discussions are currently taking place with officials in the Home Office over the scope, availability and quality of data.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has always recognised that it would be important to include a crime/social order domain in the ID 2000 but were previously prevented from doing so because of a lack of robust data.

Development Grants

John Burnett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the projected total sum is in the United Kingdom of the (a) approved development programme and (b) Challenge Fund for (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii) 2004–05.

Tony McNulty: In 2002–03 the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme (ADP) in England is £921 million. There is no Challenge Fund for this year. The funding for 2003–04, announced on 18 September, is £l,286 million of which £200 million is for the Challenge Fund.
	My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be making a statement shortly about how the additional funding in the 2002 Spending Review will be used; it will include figures for 2004–05.
	The ADP and Challenge Fund operate in England only.

Development Grants

John Burnett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the proposed allocation within the regions of the UK is of the (a) Challenge Fund and (b) approved development programme for (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii) 2004–05.

Tony McNulty: The published allocation between regions of the Housing Corporation's approved development programme in England for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is tabled as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
			 Region Actual Indicative 
		
		
			 London 420.4 482.0 
			 South East 113.9 134.1 
			 South West 61.8 74.3 
			 East Midlands 40.5 48.3 
			 East of England 63.8 74.1 
			 West Midlands 64.6 79.3 
			 Yorks and Humberside 49.3 59.7 
			 North East 22.9 33.8 
			 North West 57.7 69.0 
			 Merseyside 25.4 30.4 
			 HQ 1.0 1.0 
			 Challenge Fund n/a 200.0 
			 Total 921.2 1,286.2 
		
	
	The ADP and Challenge Fund operate in England only.
	My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be making a statement shortly about how the additional funding in the 2002 Spending Review will be used; it will include figures for 2004–05.
	The allocation of Challenge Fund bids between regions is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 London 109.6 
			 South East 84.0 
			 East of England 6.4 
		
	
	These allocations by the Housing Corporation are provisional and subject to confirmation of costs and timing.

Electronic Government

Margaret Moran: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to introduce an e-participation component as a requirement of Implementing Electronic Government statements.

Christopher Leslie: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the format of the third round of Implementing Electronic Government (IEG3) Statements. It is probable that we will be asking councils to provide information on specific components of the local e-government programme. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is also in the process of developing a proposal for a National Project on e-participation. If this project is approved a return in this area in the IEG3 statements could be included.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister hopes to publish draft guidelines on IEG3 before Easter and the final guidance in June.

House Condition Survey

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the results of the 2001 English House Condition Survey.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 165W.

Affordable Housing (South-West)

John Burnett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the aims are of the long-term housing allocation resource plans; what he estimates the effect will be on the division of resources for low-cost affordable housing within the South West Region; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: In his statement to the house about sustainable communities on 18 July 2002, Official Report, column 438, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister promised to return to the house with a comprehensive long term programme of action to achieve a step change in the Government's policies for building successful, thriving and inclusive communities in all regions. The statement, which will be made shortly, will set out how the additional funding announced in the 2002 spending review will be used. It will cover the provision of affordable housing in areas of shortage.

Right to Buy

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations have been carried out in determining the objective data from which the Government has derived the high demand indicator for the purposes of reducing maximum right to buy discounts.

Tony McNulty: None. Two measures were used: homelessness and house prices. The sources of the homelessness data were statistical surveys of local authority housing departments, routinely conducted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister:
	2001–02 Housing Investment Programme Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix
	Quarterly Housing Activity Return (PIE).
	House prices were obtained from the Land Registry and can reasonably be assumed to reflect market prices since sales below market value were excluded.

Right to Buy

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the evidence he has collated that the Right to Buy has been abused in the borough of Christchurch.

Tony McNulty: The report of the research by Heriot-Watt University into the scale, nature and impact of exploitation of the Right to Buy policy will be published shortly. It did not find any exploitation in the borough of Christchurch, but the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is minded to reduce the maximum Right to Buy discount in this area because it is under great housing pressure as evidenced by a high local incidence of homelessness and high local house prices.

Right to Buy

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will extend beyond 5 February the deadline for responses from Christchurch Borough Council to his letter about right to buy discounts.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wrote on 22 January 2003 to all the local authorities affected by our announcement that day on Right to Buy discounts, giving them the opportunity to present a case for their areas to be excluded. All views and comments on the announcement received on or before 5 February 2003 will be given careful consideration.

Right to Buy

Christopher Chope: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the letters about reduction of right to buy discounts were despatched to (a) Christchurch Borough Council and (b) Twynham Housing Association.

Tony McNulty: Letters informing Christchurch Borough Council and Twynham Housing Association of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's announcement about reducing right to buy discounts, and seeking their views, were despatched during the afternoon of Wednesday 22 January 2003.

Housing Stock Transfers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to receive the National Audit Office report on council stock transfers; and whether his review of council housing finances will be published before he has received the report.

Tony McNulty: The timetable for the National Audit Office's report has yet to be finalised. However it is scheduled for consideration by the Public Accounts Committee of this House on 31 March.
	The statement by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on the Government's comprehensive long term programme for sustainable communities, including housing, will be made shortly.

Housing Corporation

John Burnett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual Government funding to the Housing Corporation was in each year since 1991–92; what the projected annual Government funding for the Housing Corporation is for (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04 and (c) 2004–05; and what has been and will be the allocation of these moneys for these years for the South West Region.

Tony McNulty: The Housing Corporation's total approved development programme (ADP) outturn for each year since 1991–92 is tabled as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  ADP Of which South West ADP 
		
		
			 Outturn  
			 1991–92 1,586 — 
			 1992–93 2,350 — 
			 1993–94 1,809 — 
			 1994–95 1,483 — 
			 1995–96 1,142 81.4 
			 1996–97 1,044 76.9 
			 1997–98 684 48.4 
			 1998–99 606 40.8 
			 1999–2000 638 42.3 
			 2000–01 717 48.3 
			 2001–02 775 51.1 
			
			 Forecast   
			 2002–03 921 61.8 
			
			 Planned   
			 2003–04 1,286 74.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures exclude expenditure on all Housing Corporation revenue programme and administration and other capital programmes including Rough Sleepers Initiative, Major Repairs Initiative, Estate Renewal Challenge Fund.
	2. Figures for South West Region prior to 1995–96 are not available. Prior to this date the South West region was not a separate entity within the Housing Corporation regional structure.
	My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will be making a statement shortly about how the additional funding in the 2002 Spending Review will be used; it will include figures for 2004–05.

Local Government Finance

Alan Beith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will (a) list and (b) quantify those factors in the local government finance formula which determined the increase proposed for (i) Berwick-on-Tweed Borough and (ii) Teesdale District.

Nick Raynsford: Berwick-on-Tweed received an increase of 5.6 per cent. in Formula Spending Share (FSS) in the provisional settlement compared to 2002–03, to £135 per head. For Teesdale, these figures were 15.6 per cent. and £136 respectively. After their ability to raise council tax is taken into account, this gives grant increases for Berwick of 3 per cent. (the floor) and Teesdale 12.5 per cent. (the ceiling).
	Many indicators have been removed, replaced, or updated in the EPCS Formula Review, and it is difficult to quantify every impact of the formula changes on each district.
	Teesdale gains significantly and Berwick loses from the formula no longer taking account of overnight visitors. Both districts lose FSS from the removal of the old housing deprivation indictors (less so for Teesdale) and the lower sparsity weighting. Teesdale gains from the lower weighting for numbers on income support, but loses slightly due to an estimated population decline after the 2001 Census.

Local Government Finance

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations in (i) East Sussex and (ii) Eastbourne relating to changes to grant distribution.

Christopher Leslie: The number of representations we have received since the Government published the consultation paper on the Formula Grant Review on 8 July 2002, is tabled as follows.
	
		
			  Formal response to the Formula Grant Review Formal response to the provisional local government finance settlement 2003–04 Other 
		
		
			 Organisation  
			 East Sussex County Council 2 2 — 
			 Eastbourne Borough Council 1 — — 
			 Hastings Borough Council 1 1 — 
			 Lewes District Council 1 — — 
			 Rother Borough Council — 1 — 
			 Wealden Borough Council 1 — — 
			 East Sussex Fire Brigade 1 2 — 
			 Sussex Police Authority 1 1 — 
			 
			 Individual
			 From MPs on behalf of East Sussex 24 4 14 
			 From MPs on behalf of Eastbourne — — 2 
			 From members of public in East Sussex — — 76 
			 From members of public in Eastbourne — — 9 
		
	
	In addition a number of letters were received from schools in the above area concerning the funding of education which were passed to the Department for Education and Skills for reply.

Local Government Finance

Julian Lewis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list by local authority the funding per head of population for social services departments under the terms of the provisional settlement for 2003–04.

Nick Raynsford: A table showing the Personal Social Services Formula Spending Share (PSS FSS), the mid-2001 population estimate and the PSS FSS per head by local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The FSS amounts are not cash. Instead they are used in the distribution of formula grant to local authorities. Formula grant is unhypothecated. FSSs are not spending targets, authorities are free to set their own budgets subject to local spending priorities.

Public Toilets

Ben Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue guidelines to local authorities on the closure of public lavatories; and if he will commission research into the change in the number of public lavatories over the last five years.

Christopher Leslie: Local authorities are free to determine the provision of public toilets according to local circumstances. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to introduce guidelines on the closure of public toilets or commission research on their provision.

Ordnance Survey

Tony Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Ordnance Survey's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

Tony McNulty: Ordnance Survey is a small non-ministerial Department and Executive Agency which operates as a Trading Fund. As such a service delivery agreement is no longer considered appropriate and there is no plan to publish another one. Agency Performance Targets are set by Ministers for each financial year and achievement against these targets is monitored regularly.

Travellers (Permanent Sites)

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what financial assistance will be given to local authorities for the remaining two months of the current financial year to establish permanent sites for travellers; what plans he has to continue such financial provision in the next financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The gipsy sites refurbishment grant is a three-year programme announced in July 2000 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) (the then Minister of Housing). As part of the Spending Review 2000, that £17 million grant was to be made available to local authorities for the refurbishment of authorised gipsy sites over the three year period 2001 to 2004.
	The grant funding is approved and allocated annually for works to be carried out throughout the financial year. A total of £8.112 million was approved for the 2002–03 round of the gipsy site refurbishment grant. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will pay a maximum of 75 per cent. of the total approved costs.
	Applications for the 2003–04 round of the have were submitted on the 13 January 2003 and is now being assessed. Results are expected in mid March 2003.

EDUCATION

Access Regulator

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) annual budget and (b) powers of the proposed Access Regulator for higher education institutions will be; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 January 2003
	The Access Regulator will work within the Higher Education Funding Council, as set out in "The Future of Higher Education" (Cm 5734), and will have the power to withdraw approval for variable fees, or impose financial penalties, where Access Agreements are not fulfilled.

Arts and Humanities Research Council

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the (a) cost and (b) annual budget of the Arts and Humanities Research Council; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 January 2003
	We announced in "The Future of Higher Education" that our aim is for the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) to become a full Research Council by 2005. Our estimate for AHRB expenditure on running costs in the current financial year is £3.4 million. Total support for the AHRB from the Government and the Devolved Administrations in 2002–03 will be £63.2 million.

School Bullying

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirement schools are under to record reported incidents of bullying.

Ivan Lewis: There is no statutory requirement to keep record of such incidents, although this is good practice.
	Rather than set new legal requirements, we want to help schools stop bullying. We have made available on request our free pack and video for schools entitled "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence". In addition, Ofsted inspectors ask about the incidence of bullying in the schools they inspect, and the school's response to the bullying.

School Bullying

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to collect centrally statistics on the rate of bullying in schools.

Ivan Lewis: We have no such plans.
	However, we take bullying very seriously, and I would urge schools that do not have it to obtain a copy of the Department's free anti-bullying pack, "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence".

School Bullying

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Government expenditure was directed towards reducing the rate of bullying in schools in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the form requested.
	In England, we provided over £600 million to schools and local education authorities between 1999–2000 and 2001–02 to raise behaviour standards. It is not known how much was used for anti-bullying work, as expenditure decisions were taken locally. We have also funded the Department's anti-bullying pack, published in December 2000. In addition, we are providing around £190,000 a year towards the Parentline Plus helpline for parents of pupils who have been bullied, and we are also funding anti-bullying research by ChildLine—£120,000 in total, including a conference—and an external evaluation of the usefulness of our anti-bullying pack to schools that have ordered it. The evaluation will enable us to review, and where appropriate, enhance the effectiveness of our support to schools in reducing bullying. The cost of the evaluation is £20,000.

Local Government Association

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when (a) he and (b) his predecessor last met representatives of the Local Government Association's Education Executive; and when he next expects to meet them.

Charles Clarke: I regularly meet with members of the LGA.

Schools (Counselling)

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is provided for head teachers and governors on counselling in schools.

Ivan Lewis: The Department provides guidance to schools and LEAs on the subject of counselling in the event of sudden death, serious incidents, or emergencies during educational visits. Our pack for schools, "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", also deals with counselling as an anti-bullying strategy.

Schools (Formula-funded Allocations)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list for each local education authority in England the amount of formula-funded allocations per pupil for (a) primary and (b) secondary education in the provisional settlement for 2003–04.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) on 8 January 2003, Official Report, columns 231–33W.

Technical Craft Skills

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to increase the provision of technical craft skills training for (a) plumbing, (b) mechanics, (c) construction and (d) joinery.

Ivan Lewis: We are already doing much to improve the quality and availability of provision and the direct partnership between employers and the education and training system. By June we will have set out our national skills strategy and delivery plan setting out how we will further boost numbers of young people acquiring technical and craft skills across the economy and how we can get more adults to acquire vocational skills and qualifications.
	I have set out as follows some examples of the important work already in train:
	We have begun to make a start through our Success for All Strategy in bringing employers and training providers closer together to ensure that skills priorities and shortages are addressed. From August, colleges will be expected to agree three year development plans with their local Learning and Skills Council (LSC). This will ensure that funding is allocated on the basis of each college meeting headline targets, including targets for employer engagement. The targets will be specific to the role each college will play in responding to local skill needs and for many, these will clearly link to reducing skills shortages and gaps in their area.
	The Learning and Skills Council is engaged in substantial adult skills pilots in each of the occupational areas mentioned. These pilots are nationally managed and locally delivered through a consortium of local LSCs, the development-phase Sector Skills Councils, employers and providers. The pilots are proving highly successful in identifying and overcoming barriers to employer-led training programmes, and when mainstreamed will enable large numbers of adults to train or re-train for technician skills which are currently in very high demand. The Council offers substantial support for adult trainees through its heavy subsidies (of between 50 per cent. and 75 per cent. of full cost) towards college and other provider fees. In all the Council provides several hundred million pounds of subsidy towards the training of technicians every year, and provides progression routes to high level skills and HE.
	A new Standards Unit has also been established within my Department to focus specifically on improving the quality of teaching and learning. The Unit will concentrate on developing best practice materials in up to four curriculum areas in the spring and summer terms of 2002–03. Construction, which includes plumbing and joinery, has been identified as one of these priority areas.
	We are currently setting up, through the new Sector Skills Development Agency, a network of Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) that will bring together employers, trade unions and professional bodies to work with government to meet the skills needs of their sector. SSCs covering plumbing, mechanics and construction (which includes joinery) sectors are in development phase.
	We are wholly committed to Modern Apprenticeships (MA) as a quality work-based learning route for young people, increasing the supply of skills at craft, supervisory and technician level across industry. We have adopted a challenging target for MA entrants by 2004—28 per cent. of young people to begin an MA by the age of 22—and are working with the LSC to ensure all MAs meet the highest standards and to encourage take-up among employers and young people. A new Modern Apprenticeship Task Force will take a key role in promoting MA to employers and thereby contributing to increased take-up. Provisional figures for 2002–03 show that the number of young people engaged in Foundation Modern Apprenticeships in construction (which includes joinery) and plumbing has increased dramatically.
	Our national skills strategy and delivery plan will set out how Government Departments, the Learning and Skills Council, Sector Skills Councils, Regional Development Agencies and other agencies will work even further together to deliver the economy's skill needs.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Justice Administration (Kent)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the proposals to create three benches of nearly 300 magistrates in Kent;
	(2)  what consultations took place prior to the proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of (a) travel distances and (b) costs for court users of the proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
	1. By statute, the organisation of magistrates courts is a matter for the local magistrates courts committee, in this case, the Kent magistrates courts committee
	2. The Kent magistrates courts committee issued consultation documents on their proposals to reorganise the administration of justice, in February 2001, April 2002, and December 2002. If any proposals are pursued, a further period of consultation will take place.
	3. It is for the Kent magistrates courts committee to assess the travelling distances and costs for court users of their proposals. The Lord Chancellor is not required to make any such assessment on the proposals at this stage, but will take into account any objections to these proposals before making a decision on whether to approve the draft order for reorganisation.

Justice Administration (Kent)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the financial implications of the recent proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent.

Yvette Cooper: By statute, the organisation of magistrates courts is a matter for the local magistrates courts committee. The Lord Chancellor is not required to make any such assessment. Kent magistrates courts committee has addressed the financial implications of their proposals in their consultation document entitled "2004 and Beyond" which was published to stakeholders in February 2001. The purpose of the reorganisation is to achieve more efficient utilisation of courtrooms in Kent.

PRIME MINISTER

Asylum Induction Centre

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the correct consultation procedures are for the establishment of an asylum induction centre; and where they are published.

Tony Blair: Procurement exercises undertaken by NASS are carried out in accordance with standard procurement procedures, which should include consultation with local authorities. However, we are undertaking a full, independent review of NASS operations and business procedures, including procurement processes, in order to ensure that full consultation with local communities takes place consistent with the need to preserve commercial confidences.

Gun Crime

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban), Official Report, column 299, if he will make a statement on the reasons for the increase in gun crime since 1997; and in which areas there is a culture of gun crime.

Tony Blair: Armed crime accounts for a very small proportion of overall crime offences. However, the Government are determined to tackle the problem of gun crime. We have therefore announced our intention to bring forward a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for illegal possession of a firearm. New measures to tighten up the law on airguns and replica firearms will be included in the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill. Individual police forces have also introduced targeted initiatives for tackling gun crime, such as operations Trident in London and Ventara in Birmingham.

Port Controls

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 295, what the evidential basis is for his statement that the Government has put juxtaposed controls across all ports; and what kind of controls are in place for ports on the Isle of Wight.

Tony Blair: This Government introduced three formal juxtaposed frontier controls in France, to cover Eurostar services at Paris Gare du Nord, Lille Europe and Calais Frethun stations, in June 2001. These controls have had a dramatic impact on the number of inadequately documented arrivals at Waterloo and Ashford International stations. There had previously been a juxtaposed immigration control at the Eurotunnel site at Coquelles.
	The establishment of juxtaposed controls in Calais and Dover is a priority and was agreed in principle by the Home Secretary and his French counterpart in July 2002. UK Immigration Officers have been working with their French counterparts in an advisory capacity at Calais since August 2002. We will sign a treaty soon to set the legal framework to provide for full immigration controls at Calais and subsequently at other channel ports. We will deploy immigration service resources on a targeted and flexible, intelligence led basis to ports other than Calais to counteract any displacement that may occur.
	UK Immigration Officers operate in a similar capacity in Brussels. We are negotiating with the Belgian Government to introduce a formal juxtaposed immigration control at Gare du Midi in Brussels for Eurostar services to the UK.
	The Immigration Office in Portsmouth deal with all arrivals at the Isle of Wight that require the attention of the Immigration Service.

Publicity and Advertising

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year from 1995–96 to 2000–03 (estimated); and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.

Sickness Absence

David Laws: To ask the Prime Minister what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Office in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office today.

Terrorist Suspects

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the evidential basis is for his statement that members of the official opposition had said that the measures to detain without trial people suspected of terrorism were illegal and contrary to civil liberties.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the statements made by the right hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin) on 19 November, 2001, Official Report.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the guidelines with regard to the protocols for attaching antisocial behaviour orders to criminal proceedings will be made available.

John Denham: holding answer 29 January 2003
	The Crown Prosecution Service is currently preparing guidelines, to be published next month, on the role of prosecutors in prompting orders on conviction. The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are working with them on this.

Arrests

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to the police about the publication of the names of persons arrested but not charged with criminal offences.

John Denham: The Home Office does not issue guidance to the police about the publication of the names of persons arrested but not charged with criminal offences. The Media Advisory Group of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland issued guidance in December 2000 on individuals under police investigation which is available on the ACPO website.
	The guidance recommends that generally people under investigation should not be named but can with certain exceptions be identified once they have been charged. The guidance clearly advises that people who are under arrest should not be named, although general details may be given provided they do not identify the suspect.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether persons who fought against British and US troops in Afghanistan have (a) applied for and (b) been granted asylum; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 January 2003
	Between 1 January and 30 September 2002 6,910 initial decisions were made on applications made by Afghan nationals. Of these 80 were grants of asylum.
	All applications for asylum are considered on their merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UK is under no obligation whatsoever to give asylum to those who pose a threat to our security and national interest. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary requested a full examination of grants of asylum to Afghans as a result of recent press speculation. This process is on-going, but absolutely no evidence has so far been uncovered that anybody with a credible claim to have supported and fought for the Taliban has been granted asylum. All claims of links to the Taliban are investigated and security checks are made on those that give cause for concern.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has introduced in order to improve the effectiveness of vetting asylum seekers for terrorist links.

Beverley Hughes: All asylum seekers are screened, in a three-tier process:
	The details of all asylum seekers are checked against the Warnings Index system.
	Their fingerprints are taken and checked against existing Home Office record and EURODAC and they are photographed. New asylum seekers are being issued with an Application Registration Card and we have established reporting centres to improve the contact management arrangements.
	The last step, the interview, has different levels of screening which allow for those with acceptable evidence of identity and nationality to be fed into the system while allowing for more in-depth screening interviews for those with little or no credible evidence. Should there be any indication given during any of the process that someone might be of security interest then the information is quickly passed onto the appropriate agencies.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what counties a search is being conducted by his Department or its agencies for (a) accommodation centres and (b) induction centres for asylum seekers; how many premises have been identified as suitable for such purposes; how many offers have been made; how many contracts have been exchanged; how many contracts have been completed of the purchase of such properties; and if he will list the last.

Beverley Hughes: We have submitted planning notifications for accommodation centres at DSDC (Defence Storage Distribution Centre) Bicester and Royal Air Force (RAF) Newton. A shortlist of three further sites remains under consideration. They are: Sully Hospital, Cardiff; AirWest, Edinburgh; Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire. Site searching continues, but details of sites will not be put into the public domain unless or until the site is considered to be a serious prospect for the siting of an accommodation centre.
	To date the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has entered into contracts for the use of hotel beds to support induction processes in Dover and Sittingbourne. NASS is currently considering options for other such accommodation throughout the UK. Details of these sites cannot be released because that information is commercially sensitive.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism is in place to track the place of residence in the UK of those who have sought asylum.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 January 2003
	As part of the initial screening process, asylum-seekers are required to provide proof of residence at a particular address. This address is recorded in their Home Office file and in the databases maintained by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). Applicants and their representatives are told that they must notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address, at which point the records are amended. For those subject to a reporting regime, verification of the place of residence is carried out during the reporting event.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Home Office will be placing asylum seekers in Quadrant House in Dunstable, Bedforshire.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 28 January 2003
	There are no current plans to use Quadrant House, Dunstable, Bedfordshire as accommodation for asylum seekers. This should not be taken to mean that the Home Office would not ever consider the property if it was put forward. The property has not been offered to us.

Asylum Seekers

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Afghan nationals claiming asylum in Britain have stated that they fought with the Taliban; and how many of these asylum claims have been accepted.

Beverley Hughes: (Between 1 January and 30 September 2002 6,910 initial decisions were made on applications made by Afghan nationals. Of these 80 were grants of asylum) .
	All applications for asylum are considered on their merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The UK is under no obligation whatsoever to give asylum to those who pose a threat to our security and national interest. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary requested a full examination of grants of asylum to Afghans as a result of recent press speculation. This process is on-going, but absolutely no evidence has so far been uncovered that anybody with a credible claim to have supported and fought for the Taliban has been granted asylum. All claims of links to the Taliban are investigated and security checks are made on those that give cause for concern.

Benefit Fraud

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Court of Appeal last set sentencing guidelines for benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Court of Appeal last issued sentencing guidelines for benefit fraud on 24 March 1987 in the case of Livingstone Stewart.

Bioterrorism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been made for dealing with domestic pets in drawing up strategies to deal with bio-terrorist attacks.

David Blunkett: In drawing up contingency plans, consideration has been given to the handling of pets following the deliberate release of biological agents, including infectious diseases. The handling of pets would depend very much on the particular circumstances of the incident. Whatever action is necessary, the authorities do their best to take account of the emotional attachment which all pet owners feel towards their animals.

Crime and Disorder Act

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 will apply to (a) the Planning Bill, (b) the Licensing Bill and (c) the Local Government Bill; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 applies without prejudice to any other obligation imposed on an authority to which it applies. Any new functions proposed under the (a) the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill (b) theLicensing Bill and (c) the Local Government Bill maintains the duty under section 17 for the relevant authority to have due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all it reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in its area.

Cumbria Crime Squad

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police hours were lost as a result of the inquiry into the Cumbria force crime squad.

John Denham: I am informed by Cumbria Constabulary that one police officer was suspended for a period of seven months from October 2000 to May 2001. This equates to approximately 1,104 working hours. Apart from this all officers under investigation have been assigned non-operational duties within the constabulary.

Domestic Violence (Merseyside)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic assault have been reported to Merseyside police authority in each year since 1996; how many and what percentage of such cases were withdrawn by (a) the police complainant and (b) the victim complainant before the case was referred to the CPS; how many cases were pursued by the CPS after the victim complainant had withdrawn the complaint; and how many cases were accepted by the CPS where the only complainant was the police complainant.

John Denham: holding answer 29 January 2003
	Domestic violence is not identified separately in recorded crime figures: crimes involving domestic violence are recorded in a range of offences, along with offences committed in other circumstances.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) produced data by region for 2001–02. For that year it estimated that there were 97 incidents of domestic violence per 10,000 adults in the north west region, compared with 149 incidents per 10,000 adults in England and Wales as a whole; and that 35 per cent. of domestic violence incidents were reported to the police. The BCS does not provide information on domestic violence for individual police force areas.
	The 1996 BCS included a self-completion component on domestic violence to encourage disclosure. Results were published in Home Office Research Study No. 191, copies of which were deposited in the Library.
	Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) case records begin when the police refer a file to the CPS, either for pre-charge advice or for prosecution. CPS records do not, therefore, show how many cases of domestic assault have been reported to the police, or how many were disposed of before referral to the prosecution.
	The CPS does hold records of case outcomes, but at present these are held in aggregate form, and cannot be provided for particular offences or groups of offences.

Domestic Violence (Merseyside)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of domestic violence were reported and how many lives domestic violence claimed in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

John Denham: Recorded crime figures are generally collected by legal definitions. Recorded crimes involving domestic violence will be recorded in a range of offences, along with offences which have been committed in other circumstances. Numbers of offences involving domestic violence are therefore not available from recorded crime data.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) produced data by region for 2001–02, on the number of crimes of domestic violence recorded by the survey. However, it does not provide information on domestic violence at a local level nor for individual police force areas.
	The BCS estimates that there were 92 crimes of domestic violence per 10,000 adults in the north-east region for interviews conducted in the 2001–02 financial year. This compares with 149 incidents per 10,000 adults in England and Wales as a whole.
	The BCS can also provide trend information on the number of incidents of domestic violence for England and Wales.
	
		Number of BCS incidents of domestic violence, 1997 to 2001–02, BCS interviews, England and Wales (thousands)
		
			  Domestic Violence 
		
		
			 1997 826 
			 1999 787 
			 2000 514 
			 2001–02 635 
		
	
	The BCS figures are estimates only. They are derived from a sample and so are subject to sampling error. Also, the context of the face-to-face BCS interview means the estimates are certain to be underestimates of the true extent because some respondents may be unwilling to reveal experience of domestic violence to interviewers. Results from the 1996 BCS self-completion module on domestic violence were published in Home Office Research Study No. 191, deposited in the Library. This more confidential approach to measurement revealed that the proportion of women that were victims in the last year of domestic assault was over three times higher than in the main BCS.
	Details of homicides by constituency and for the United Kingdom are not held centrally. The available information relates to currently recorded offences of homicide (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) where the relationship of the victim to the suspect includes current or former spouse, cohabitant or lover. Information for England and Wales is as follows.
	
		Number of homicides by current or former spouse, cohabitant or lover, England and Wales
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997–98 131 
			 1998–99 104 
			 1999–2000 112 
			 2000–01 127 
			 2001–02 148 
		
	
	Note:
	As at 8 October 2002, figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Drink-driving

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many first time convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in the last three years, broken down by police authority.

Hilary Benn: Information on the number of first time convictions for drink-driving resulting in custodial sentences is not available.
	The table provides information on the numbers of offenders that were sentenced for the first conviction of drink-driving in England and Wales from data samples in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and also the number who were given custodial or other sentences. Due to the small numbers in the samples sentenced to custody it is not possible to give a break down by Police Force Area.
	
		
			 Sentence Number of offenders Percentage 
		
		
			  Number of first time drink-drivers sentenced in a four week sentencing sample for 1998 
			 Immediate custody 307 2.7 
			 Community penalty 1,539 13.5 
			 Fine 9,445 83.0 
			 Other sentence 82 0.7 
			 Total 11,373 100.0 
			
			  Number of first time drink-drivers sentenced in a four week sentencing sample for 1999 
			 Immediate custody 137 2.5 
			 Community penalty 721 13.3 
			 Fine 4,518 83.3 
			 Other sentence 50 0.9 
			 Total 5,426 100.0 
			
			  Number of first time drink-drivers sentenced from April to June 2000 
			 Immediate custody 140 2.4 
			 Community penalty 830 14.3 
			 Fine 4,803 82.9 
			 Other sentence 24 0.4 
			 Total 5,797 100.0

Drug Abuse

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are under way in Hull and the East Riding to tackle drug abuse.

Bob Ainsworth: The area in question is served by two Drug Action Teams (DATs)—East Riding of Yorkshire and Kingston-upon-Hull. They work very closely and meet as a combined forum. The DATs are served by a comprehensive infrastructure including combined Joint Commissioning Groups, groups working across all sections of the National Drugs Strategy, Drug Reference Groups and 15 locality based Drug Forums. They are supported by senior and assistant DAT Coordinator posts.
	Last year (2001–02) the DATs oversaw the allocation of a total budget approaching £15 million pounds, of which nearly 50 per cent. was allocated to treatment services, 25 per cent. on addressing the availability of drugs, 15 per cent. on community involvement and 12 per cent. on young people's initiatives.
	The combined DATs have recently produced and published an Annual Report for 2001–02 and a Combined Strategic Plan for 2002–03, copies of which will be placed in the Library. These documents paint a comprehensive picture of initiatives already in place and those planned for the future. In particular, there has been an increase in investment in treatment services.
	As part of the Prison Service Drug Strategy, Her Majesty's Prison Hull is actively working towards reducing the supply of, and demand for, illegal drugs among prisoners. Hull offers drug-misusing prisoners a range of drug interventions—including detoxification and counselling, assessment, referral, advice and through care (CARAT) services. The through care elements of the latter are aimed at establishing links to treatment services in the community to ensure that the progress made during custody is consolidated post-release. Prisoners are encouraged to remain drug-free, and to demonstrate this commitment, they can sign Voluntary Drug Testing compacts.
	To help deter drug smuggling, the prison can enforce visits bans and closed visits and has access to a drug dog.

Emergency Contingency Planning

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the degree of preparedness of the Government for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident.

David Blunkett: holding answer 28 January 2003
	The recent discovery of traces of ricin, followed by arrests in the United Kingdom and abroad, show there is a continuing interest in using chemical, biological or radiological agents as weapons of terror. While there is no credible, specific threat to targets in the United Kingdom, it is vital that the Government continue to protect the public from any possible threat from terrorism. That is why the Government are making substantial investment to ensure that the emergency services have the equipment and trained officers to enable them to respond to the release of CBRN material.
	This is on-going work. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Crime Reduction and Community Safety was appointed Minister for CBRN co-ordination in 2001 supported by a Cabinet sub-committee and a dedicated team of officials at the Home Office. We are continually learning and developing the best way to protect the UK from terrorism and to manage the consequences of terrorism, in whatever form it comes. However the Government do not give detailed information on CBRN capabilities, as this information could be useful to terrorists.

Entitlement Card Consultation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to ensure that responses to the consultation that are against the entitlement card are accurately recorded; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Since the Government announced in February 2002 that it would be publishing a consultation paper, all correspondence received by e-mail and post has been filed according to the views expressed by the correspondent. Responses received from individuals and organisations have been recorded on a database.
	I am aware that in a small number of cases (estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of the total volume of correspondence), the views of the correspondent were incorrectly recorded. These errors were pointed out by the correspondents when they received a reply. They received an apology and the database has been amended accordingly.

Eurobank

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred by the (a) Home Office budget and (b) security services budget arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: None. It is the longstanding policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor to deny reports or allegations concerning the activities of the intelligence and security agencies.

Gwent Police

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Gwent Police concerning its funding allocations for 2003–04.

John Denham: holding answer 27 January 2003
	I have received one representation made jointly by the Chief Constable of Gwent and the Chairman of Gwent Police Authority. I visited Gwent on 14 January 2003. During the visit the Chief Constable outlined his concerns to me. These concerns are being considered.

Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the cost is of placing an offender on the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme;
	(2)  whether the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme is being evaluated;
	(3)  what funding is available to the Youth Justice Board for the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme; and what funding will be available in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06;
	(4)  what his estimate is of the number of young offenders who are eligible for the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 28 January 2003
	The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP) was launched in 2001 to provide the courts with a tough community based programme designed to tackle persistent young offenders. It was extended last year and now provides for approximately 3,500 young offenders a year at an annual cost of £21.5million.
	I am pleased to announce that provision has now been made to complete full national coverage by January 2004, providing in total for 4,200 young people annually. The total cost of the programme over the next three years will be £23 million, £27 million, and £27million respectively.
	The average cost for each six month placement including bail tagging, is £8,500. The total number of young offenders who could be eligible is difficult to calculate because of the combination of criteria which must be satisfied.
	The programme is being fully evaluated by Oxford University: the final report with reconvictions is due in March 2004.

Internet Child Pornography

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to relieve the backlog of cases concerning internet child pornography.

Hilary Benn: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 10 December 2002, Official Report, column 237W.
	I have subsequently met with DAC Carole Hewlett of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to discuss these on-going investigations, and will continue to monitor progress closely.

Iraq

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to intern Iraqi citizens in the UK, including asylum seekers, in the event of armed conflict with Saddam Hussein's regime; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: As no decision has been taken on whether to take military action in Iraq, this is a hypothetical situation. I have no plans at this stage but plans for dealing with the full range of potential consequences of armed conflict overseas are kept constantly under review.

Landlords (Prosecutions)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many landlords were prosecuted by their tenants for breach of contract in (a) 2002, (b) 2001 and (c) 2000.

John Denham: The information requested is not collected centrally by the Home Department.

Lincolnshire Police Force

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted criminals in the Lincolnshire police authority area were re-offenders in each year from 1997 to 2002.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is not available.

Missing Persons

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance his Department has given to the National Missing Persons Helpline in each year since 1997.

John Denham: The National Missing Persons Helpline (NMPH) is a charitable organisation and does not receive any direct funding from the Home Office.
	However, a joint bid by the police and the NMPH to the Invest to Save Budget, which has been led by the Home Office, has been successful. Funding of £810,000 has been secured for a missing persons project. The aim of the project is the establishment of joint working arrangements between the UK Police Service and the NMPH, together with improved recording and information sharing.

Murders

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 1999.

John Denham: Information held centrally on the Homicide Index is in the form of homicides (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) recorded by the police in England and Wales. The number of homicides currently recorded by the police for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1999 is 1,834.
	The latest available homicide statistics were published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 01/03, "Crime in England and Wales 2001–02: Supplementary Volume".

Murders

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of committing murders in each of the last 10 years.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is contained in the table.
	
		Persons convicted of murder, England and Wales, 1992 to 2001
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1992 182 
			 1993 211 
			 1994 192 
			 1995 214 
			 1996 257 
			 1997 275 
			 1998 256 
			 1999 252 
			 2000 261 
			 2001 285 
		
	
	Figures for 2002 are not yet available.

Official Travel

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was on official travelling in 2001–02.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 3 December 2003
	Total Home Office expenditure on official travelling in 2001–02 was £12,959,000. This includes a small element of subsistence allowance, which cannot be separately identified without disproportionate cost.
	The expenditure on travel by the Home Office agencies, in 2001–02 was as follows:
	
		
			 Agency Cost (£) 
		
		
			 Forensic Science Service 1,924,000 
			 Her Majesty's Prison Service 8,769,000 
			 United Kingdom Passport Service 2,583,000 
		
	
	The Forensic Science Service and the United Kingdom Passport Service figures also include subsistence costs that could not be separately identified without disproportionate cost.

Overstayers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications under the Regulation of Overstayers scheme have been (a) received and (b) approved in each year since its inception; and for migrants from which countries.

Beverley Hughes: (a) 15,315 applications were received by the closing date (revised figure following a full review).
	(b) 255 (April 2001); 1,079 (April 2002) and 2,173 (as at September 2002—latest figures available).
	Information about countries of origin is not available.

Overstayers

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to verify (a) the identity and (b) criminal record of applicants under the Regulation of Overstayers scheme.

Beverley Hughes: Documentary evidence of identity is required on all applications under this scheme. Those applicants who previously applied for asylum will have been through a rigorous screening process. Specially trained caseworkers assess all cases carefully to identify any indication of criminal activity. All such cases are referred to a senior caseworker. Cases where an extant Deportation Order may be evoked or other specifically identified categories will always involve a criminal record check and require clearance by a Senior Officer.
	Additionally, applicants with potential security interest are security checked before being granted leave.

Police Authorities

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the membership and responsibilities of police authorities.

John Denham: There are no plans to change the membership or responsibilities of police authorities.

Police Call-centres

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in the United Kingdom rely on call-centres for handling telephone calls from the public; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Detailed information is not available on this subject as differing systems are in place throughout the UK, using call-centres, switchboards and direct lines.
	The recent National Policing Plan sets out the Government's commitment to improving the quality and efficiency of contact between the police and the public and call handling is an important aspect of this. We are working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Association of Police Authorities (APA) to improve standards.

Police Command Units

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the 30 basic command units are; and which 30 police stations dealt with the highest levels of (a) acquisitive crime and (b) crime by drug addicts in the last year for which figures are available.

John Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department gave the House on 21 January 2003 about the additional funding being allocated to the 30 basic command units with the highest levels of acquisitive crime. Supporting information on the selection criteria has been placed in the Library.
	National recorded crime statistics can be analysed to allow a ranking order at regional (basic command unit) level but no lower.

Police Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police officers in North Yorkshire he estimates are paid out of police grants, with particular reference to rural funding for police officers;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase the amount of rural funding for police officers for the years (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06;
	(3)  how many police officers in North Yorkshire are paid from police grants paid by Government; and what specific provision was made in the police pay formula for additional funds to be made available to North Yorkshire to pay the increase.

John Denham: General grant is not paid on the basis of supporting a particular number of police officers, but on an overall assessment of relative authority needs and resources.
	Specific grant from the Crime Fighting Fund is supporting the recruitment of officers over and above forces previous plans for the three years to March 2003.
	Under the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) recruitment initiative North Yorkshire Police have been allocated an additional 68 recruits.
	In 2000–01, the first year of the scheme, the force appointed 64 new recruits, of whom four were funded by the CFF. In 2001–02 the force appointed 100 new recruits, including 37 CFF funded recruits. North Yorkshire will be able to take on 27 CFF funded recruits this financial year.
	For 2003–04 the Rural Policing Fund will allocate £30 million in additional funding between the 31 forces that have the most widespread population. North Yorkshire will receive £2,018,029 through the Rural Policing Fund in 2003–04.
	It is for the Chief Officer to decide how best to spend this additional money to enhance policing in rural areas.
	No decisions about the Rural Policing Fund have been taken for 2004–05 and 2005–06.

Police Helicopter Sorties

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police helicopter sorties were made in each of the last five years, broken down by police force; and what the annual cost was to each police force.

John Denham: The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. 39 police forces in England and Wales currently operate an Air Support Unit and the Home Office allocates grant of £4 million a year between forces as a contribution towards the capital cost of this facility. The remaining capital and operating costs are met by the police forces themselves.

Police Numbers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the numbers of police officers in North Yorkshire in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on policing in North Yorkshire, with particular reference to how many officers he forecasts in the authority for years (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006.

John Denham: North Yorkshire Police had 1,417 officers on 31 March 2002. This was 112 more than March 2001 and was a record number of officers. Information on strength for 31 March 2003 will not be published until the summer.
	Under the Crime Fighting Fund (CFF) recruitment initiative North Yorkshire Police have been allocated an additional 68 recruits over and above the force's previous recruitment plans for the three years to March 2003. Funding for these officers will continue in 2003–04. The CFF will continue in 2003–04 and we will fund 75 per cent. of the cost of new recruits through CFF rather than 100 per cent. as in the past three years. North Yorkshire Police Authority has been allocated £20,000 which on the basis of 75 per cent. funding should be sufficient for the force to recruit a further four police officers through this fund.
	Apart from ring-fenced provision for a particular purpose, such as the Crime Fighting Fund, decisions about the police budget and the allocation of resources, including numbers of officers, are matters for the North Yorkshire Police Authority and the Chief Constable (Ms Della Cannings). It is therefore not possible to provide estimates of North Yorkshires police strength in future years.

Police Numbers

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers (a) are in service and (b) were in service in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001 in Devon.

John Denham: Devon is part of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary and information is not collected on a regular basis about the number of officers deployed to Basic Command Units within force areas. I would however refer the hon. Member to my reply of 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 589W to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) setting out police strength for each Basic Command Unit for each force in England and Wales as at 31 March 2002.
	The deployment of resources between the four territorial divisions and other specialist operational and support units of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary is an operational matter for the Chief Constable (Mrs. Maria Wallis QPM).

Police Officer Numbers

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues to police forces on the supply of information on officer numbers, with particular reference to the inclusion of individuals (a) recruited but not yet receiving pay and (b) undergoing basic training.

John Denham: Published Home Office statistics on police officer numbers include probationer officers who have joined the service and are being paid. The statistics do not include individuals who are recruited but not yet receiving pay. The figures include officers undergoing initial basic training, which is included within the two year probationary period.

Police Discipline

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force area were disciplined for unauthorised disclosure of information to the media in the last year for which figures are available.

John Denham: This information is not held centrally and it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Police Recruitment

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to review the recruitment procedure for the police; and if he will make it his policy to re-examine the rule within the recruitment procedure relating to epilepsy.

John Denham: The Government are introducing national standards for police recruitment as part of the Police Reform Programme. We are reviewing the fitness, eyesight and medical standards and eligibility criteria, and introducing a national application form and selection process. The new procedures will be phased in during 2003–04.
	The guidelines on medical standards for recruitment (which include epilepsy) are the subject of a study by QinetiQ which will report in the spring.

Police

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police officers recruited in each year since 1990 were graduates.

John Denham: Information has been collected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary only from 1995. The numbers of graduates recruited against numbers of total police appointments is as follows.
	
		
			 Year Graduate recruits Total police appointments 
		
		
			 1995–96 794 4,991 
			 1996–97 944 6,410 
			 1997–98 833 6,556 
			 1998–99 673 5,560 
			 1999–2000 767 4,683 
			 2000–01 797 8,612 
			 2001–02 1,306 11,647

Preston Prison

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will construct a hospital wing for Wymott and Garth, Preston prison.

Hilary Benn: We have no plans to construct hospital wings at either establishment.

Prison Estates

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  where maintenance of the streets, street-lighting, drainage and sewerage systems on the Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prison estates remain the responsibility of the Prison Service of his Department, (a) what programmes of planned maintenance are in place, (b) how financial responsibility for maintenance is divided between his Department and householders and (c) which of his or the Prison Service's managers holds day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of essential maintenance;
	(2)  if he will list the residential streets on the Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prison estates, showing for each (a) how many housing units have been sold and how many remain in the ownership of the Prison Service or his Department and (b) whether, where houses have been sold, (i) ownership and (ii) maintenance of the streets, street-lighting, drainage and sewerage systems remain the responsibility of the Prison Service or his Department.

Hilary Benn: The Prison Service owns six houses within its former quarters estates adjacent to the prisons at Parkhurst, Camphill and Albany. There is a complex pattern of ownership of boundaries within these estates with the Prison Service also retaining ownership some roads and areas of open space, some with outline planning permission for further residential redevelopment. Responsibility for maintaining all highways, open space areas and services lies with current land owners, except where adopted by utility providers. Where land and premises have been sold by the Prison Service maintenance responsibilities are specified within the sale conveyances. There is no legal obligation on the Prison Service to maintain privately owned highways and services and there is no planned maintenance programme in place. Maintenance of Prison Service owned land and services is organised by the prisons' works departments.
	The Prison Service retains the right under the terms of sale conveyances granted to directly recharge the cost of highway and services maintenance it does complete to all private owners, on these estates, benefiting from the works. The Prison Service contributes to such expenditure according to the benefit it derives, if any, from such works. Due to Prison Service funding priorities and strong opposition from many residents to the possibility of recharges being made, only limited maintenance works have been completed in recent years.
	The Prison Service has been working closely with the Isle of Wight council and the residents associations to try to reach agreement on proposals for upgrading the highways and services on these estates, to a standard where they can be formally adopted and maintained by the Isle of Wight council and utility providers.

Prison Estates

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his planning applications for the sites of the (a) Parkhurst, (b) Albany and (c) Camp Hill prison estates, stating for each what obstacles remain to the granting of planning permission.

Hilary Benn: The Prison Service has obtained outline planning consents for residential development of six sites which have or may become surplus to operational requirements. Ecological surveys are being completed in respect of two other sites before further consideration of outstanding planning applications.

Prison Places

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the number of available prison places; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: In England and Wales, £60 million has already been made available to provide 740 additional places by March 2004. This is in addition to funding from the 2002 Budget that will provide 2,320 additional places by March of this year, together with 400 places at Birmingham prison, which are funded through the 2000 spending review and are scheduled to open in April 2004.
	We have also recently approved Prison Service plans to build two new prisons at Ashford (near Heathrow) and Peterborough in Cambridgeshire. These two new prisons will together provide around 1, 300 places by 2004–05. In addition, a further £140 million has been agreed for the Prison Service, which will be used to build a further 800 places over the financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06.
	Information on establishments in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

Life Imprisonment

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been sentenced to life imprisonment under section 109 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in each month during which the Act has been in force.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 29 January 2003
	The available information is contained in the table.
	
		Persons sentenced to a mandatory life sentence for a second serious offence under section 109 of the powers of the criminal court (sentencing) Act 2000, England and Wales, December 1999 to December 2001
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 December 1999 (5) September (5) June 2001 (7) 
			 January 2000 (8) October 2000 (3) July 2001 (3) 
			 February 2000 (6) November 2000 (5) August 2001 (2) 
			 March 2000 (3) December 2000 (1) September 2001 (—) 
			 April 2000 (4) January 2001 (2) October 2001 (9) 
			 May 2000 (4) March 2001 (6) December 2001 (3) 
			 July 2000 (5) April 2001 (2)  
			 August 2000 (2) May 2001 (6) Total 113 
		
	
	Figures prior to December 1999 were not separately notified to the Home Office Court Proceedings Database. Figures for 2002 will be published in the Aututmn.

Racism Register

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there is a register kept by (a) the Home Office and (b) the CRE of persons suspected of racism.

Beverley Hughes: Neither the Home Office nor the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) keep such a register.

Reconviction Rates

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners released in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 were reconvicted within two years; and what his assessment is of reconviction rates for prisoners released in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (ii) 2002.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 21 January 2003
	The two-year 'un-adjusted' reconviction rate for prisoners discharged from custody in 1997 was 58 per cent. The provisional figure for 1998 was also 58 per cent. These rates are published in "Prison Statistics—England and Wales 2000".
	Reconviction rates for offenders discharged from custody in the first quarter of 1999 have also been calculated according to the requirements of the Governments Public Service Agreement (PSA) 10 target. These are adjusted to take out convictions for offences committed prior to discharge, giving a reconviction rate of 55.3 per cent. The equivalent figures for the first quarter of 1997 and 1998 are 56.8 per cent. and 55.7 per cent. respectively.
	Reconviction rates for more recent periods are not yet available.

Reconviction Rates

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of offenders completing community sentences in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 were reconvicted within two years; and what his assessment is of reconviction rates for offenders completing programmes in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 21 January 2003
	Reconviction rates for offenders commencing community penalties in the first quarter of 1997 have been calculated according to the requirements of the Government's Public Service Agreement (PSA) 10 target. These are adjusted to take out convictions for offences committed prior to commencement of the penalty and convictions for breach of the penalty where no further offence had been committed.
	This gives a reconviction rate for the first quarter of 1997 of 45.7 per cent. The equivalent figure for the first quarters of 1998 and 1999 are 46.0 per cent. and 44.3 per cent. respectively.
	Two-year reconviction rates are not available for offenders completing programmes in 2000, 2001 or 2002.

Schools (Crime)

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent study he has made into the level of crime in proximity to schools.

John Denham: Two recently published studies commissioned by the Home Office and Youth Justice Board provide an indication of the level of personal robbery and street crime in the vicinity of schools.
	Recently published Home Office research ("The Nature of Personal Robbery", Home office Research Study 254, 2003) which looked at the nature of personal robbery, found that only 1 per cent. of personal robberies actually occurred on or around school or college premises, though this may be an underestimate. However, the study also found that the risk period for school age victims was late afternoon (2 p.m. to 6 p.m.) when more than half (54 per cent.) were targeted and when many were making their way home from school, or similarly socialising with friends.
	Similarly, recently published research commissioned by the Youth Justice Board ("Young People and Street Crime: Research into young people's involvement in street crime"), which focuses on street crime in London boroughs in the main, found that offending peaks dramatically after school finishes on weekdays, often in the vicinity of schools or on the main routes taken home by pupils. The research suggested that even if the perpetrators had not attended school during the day, they may well gravitate back there if they have nothing else to do.
	As part of the package of measures to tackle street crime and improve behaviour in schools, there are now 100 police officers based in selected schools in areas with high levels of street crime. This is a joint initiative between the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and is called Safer School Partnerships (SSP).
	Safer School Partnerships build on previous police involvement in schools where police officers have tended to take an essentially teaching role; as part of an SSP their role is more operational. They provide a much fuller level of resource and will be able to develop a much closer relationship with the school and its community.
	Police officers are working with school staff and other local agencies to reduce victimisation, criminality and anti-social behaviour within the school and its local community. SSPs aim to reduce crime in and around schools, so making cost-effective use of police time; helping schools improve, so parents keep sending their children to those schools; and reducing disorder, so heads can spend time improving their school, instead of dealing with behaviour problems.
	The specific areas where SSPs are making a contribution to schools and their community include prevention and reduction of crime, anti-social behaviour and related incidents in and around the school, together with any bullying and violence experienced by pupils and staff, truancy and exclusion, damage to school buildings and drug related incidents.

Charity Commission

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Charity Commission's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

Beverley Hughes: This is a matter for the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission's service delivery agreement for 2003–06 is currently being finalised in discussion with Her Majesty's Treasury. The Chief Charity Commissioner will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Statistics (Publication)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) the British Crime Survey, (b) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, (c) Prison Statistics, England and Wales, (d) Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System, (e) Control of Immigration Statistics and (f) the Home Office Annual Report were published in each year from 1992 to 2002.

John Denham: Within the time frame specified, 1992–2002:
	(a) British Crime Survey published November 1993, 24 September 1996, 13 October 1998, 17 October 2000, 25 October 2001.
	(b) Criminal Statistics, E & W published December 1993 (1992), November 1994 (1993), November 1995 (1994), November 1996 (1995), November 1997 (1996), November 1998 (1997), March 2000 (1998), December 2000 (1999), December 2001 (2000), December 2002 (2001).
	(c) Prison Statistics, E & W published 20 February 1992 (1990), 30 March 02 (1991), 23 June 1994 (1992), 29 June 1995 (1993), 9 February 1996 (1994), 30 August 1996 (1995), 31 July 1997 (1996), 30 July 1998 (1997), 18 October 1999 (1998), 31 July 2000 (1999), 15 August 2001 (2000).
	(d) Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System published September 1992, July 1994, March 1996, December 1997, 8 December 1998, 9 December 1999, December 2000, 7 November 2002 on web and 15 November 2002 hardcopy.
	(e) Control of Immigration Statistics published September 1992, October 1993, August 1994, August 1995, August 1996, August 1997, August 1998, August 1999, October 2000, November 2001, November 2002.
	(f) Home Office Annual Report published 12 February 1992, 10 February 1993, 2 March 1994, 8 March 1995, 20 March 1996, 20 March 1997, 6 April 1998, 26 March 1999, 11 April 2000, 30 March 2001, 13 June 2002.

Terrorism

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures have been put in place to protect potentially high-risk areas from terrorist attacks in the last 12 months.

David Blunkett: Over the last 12 months the Government has enhanced the existing programme providing protective security advice to critical and high-risk sectors aimed at reducing the risks from a range of possible terrorist attack methods. The number of industrial operators receiving advice on counter-terrorism precautions has substantially increased, so as to cover operations critical to the national infrastructure and also a wide range of sites and sectors which could be considered attractive terrorist targets and, if successfully attacked, would potentially cause significant loss of life. Protective security advice is also made available to a broad range of contacts in the business and commercial community which includes the retail sector and operators of major public venues.

Thames Valley Police

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on retention in the Thames Valley police force.

John Denham: holding answer 20 January 2003
	Thames Valley police has been recruiting strongly in recent years. However, the force has been experiencing retention difficulties including a net outflow of transfers.
	I share the chief constable's concern about this. It is important to establish what is causing these difficulties. We are therefore working with the chief constable, police authority and staff associations, to look at all the associated issues and to develop practical solutions.

Tony Martin

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the findings of the recent Parole Board report on the case of Tony Martin, prisoner at HMP Highpoint.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 21 January 2003
	Decisions taken by the Parole Board in respect of individual cases are not published.

West Midlands Police Force

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ethnic composition of the West Midlands Police Force was in each of the last five years.

John Denham: The following tables are for police officers and all police staff and have been produced from figures supplied by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
	For the first four years, the figures were collected in four categories. For 2002, the 2001 Census categories of ethnic group were adopted and so there is a break in the series. Figures for 2002 have been affected by the low response rate from staff to self-classify ethnicity based on the 2001 Census classification. This resulted in a number of police staff being classified as 'Unspecified' ethnicity.
	
		1. Police officers
		
			  White Black Asian Other   
		
		
			 31 March 1998 6,859 132 123 42 — — 
			 31 March 1999 7,008 137 131 44 — — 
			 31 March 2000 6,887 142 142 44 — — 
			 31 march 2002 7,050 149 176 46 — — 
			   
			  White Mixed Black/Black British Asian/Asian British Chinese or other ethnic group Unspecified 
			 31 March 2002 6,674 73 112 170 10 555 
		
	
	
		2. All police staff
		
			  White Black Asian Other   
		
		
			 31 March 1998 9,694 234 204 59 — — 
			 31 March 1999 9,716 226 224 62 — — 
			 31 March 2000 9,575 227 240 61 — — 
			 31 March 2001 9,789 238 275 67 — — 
			   
			  White Mixed Black/Black British Asian/Asian British Chinese or other ethnic group Unspecified 
			 31 March 2002 9,299 97 189 285 16 773

Women Prisoners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women serving prison sentences gave birth (a) in prison and (b) in hospital in each of the last five years; and how many were allowed to keep their babies in prison.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 29 January 2003
	All women prisoners who are pregnant are transferred to local hospitals to give birth where normal National Health Service (NHS) care applies. No figures are held centrally on the number of prisoners who have given birth or the number of women who have been in Mother and Baby Units in the last five years.

Women Prisoners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners have children who are (a) under five years old and (b) under 18 months old.

Hilary Benn: holding answer 29 January 2003
	There is no routinely collected data on the number of women prisoners with children in these age ranges. However, a Chief Inspector's survey in 1994 found that over a third of the mothers had one or more children under five years old. Studies published in 1997 and 2000 found that 60 per cent. and 66 per cent. of women prisoners respectively had dependent children under the age of 18.